Reminiscence
by LanceTrance
Summary: Fate intertwined them as the world around them burned. Two rivals with clashing differences, two souls hardened by heart-wrenching experiences, two bodies engraved with scars; each with their own story. Each trial has shaped them into the women they are today, and every hardship tests who they may become. Forget what hurt you in the past, just never forget what it taught you.
1. New Identity, New Life

****Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!****

 **AN** **:** If you're only interested in the stories between Sera and Lavellan, skip to chapter 3: Curious Beginnings. Firstly I wanted to thank BeyondXtreme for giving me a  massive amount of helpful tips and suggestions to help me flesh this all out [especially what a bratty Sera would be like before how we know her today!] I believe she truly saved this story a ton of embarrassment it would have otherwise suffered [more so than usual] :P

Secondly, I hope you enjoy my [first] humble story. Honest tips/feedback greatly appreciated! I would like to join the ranks of the many awesome writers in this community :D Which brings me to my next point, I've started up a community named _Thief of Hearts_ dedicated to stories for Sera, so if I've missed a good one that you think should be there, let me know! If you're also interested to be a staff member, don't hesitate to drop a PM :)

 **Warning:** Sera's street-life past will be more graphic and more angst-y [the way I envision it anyways] compared to Lavellan's, I hope this does not deter you. Also keep in mind that this [first chapter] is Sera as a street orphan teenager, we've all had our hormonal attitude issues :P I'm not bashing I swear! For purposes to help understand who is who, Sera will be referred to Sera but she doesn't technically have a 'name' (you'll get it when you read).

* * *

 **New Identity, New Life**

* * *

There it is, the cart full of baked goods. Sera's stomach growls and she rubs it in hopes it'll stop protesting, but it doesn't. Lady Emmald warned her that the baker doesn't like elves, she couldn't afford to get caught. She shudders and hugs herself, rubbing her arms as wild ideas of punishment haunt her, but where else was she going to get cookies? The old hag passed away and she was stuck on her own, she's learned the rules real fast that out on the streets you've only got yourself. Alone in this world... The thought terrified her. She looks down at her tattered clothing and then back at the cart, who wouldn't help a poor kid in dirty rags? Her hunger skews her judgment and she decides to take the chance, weaving through the crowds and ignoring the comments whispered behind her back.

"Ugh, what's that smell?" Two human men blocked Sera's path and wrinkled their noses, "Whatcha doin' here knife-ear? This ain't the place for yer kind," one of them snickered as they approached her and rested his hand on her shoulder, something about the man's touch repulsed her. It was like cockroaches crawled along her skin and she glared at him silently, "How 'bout we escortcha to the alienage? It's down this alleyway..."

Sera slapped his hand off and spat at his feet, the teenager was in no mood for conversation. All she wanted was some damn cookies, was that too much to ask for? The offended man, as if reading her mind, seemed to think so, "Feisty one ain'tcha?"

His partner grinned sadistically, "Now, now, we just tryin' to help ya hunny. You really don't want to cause any trouble, 'specially in this end of town. May want to reconsider that attitude of yours before something _bad_ will happen, y'hear?" He reached over and grabbed her wrist, forcefully yanking the teenager despite her protests. Sera looked around, people were either deaf or ignored what was happening and she didn't have the strength to fight back. She wasn't surprised, she knew exactly why because this wasn't the first time and… She learned real fast, the number one rule amongst humans.

#1: **Nobody** helps a  knife-ear.

Well, some of the sadistic ones will help themselves to an elf and it wasn't a pretty thing to witness. The vivid memory was burned into her mind when she had first saw it happen to one of the nice girls down at the alienage. She was just a child at the time and roamed around, squeezing through the crowd only to watch a group of humans beat the grooms and steal the brides. She remembered looking around and wondering why nobody went out to punish the humans, after all there were so many elves and only a handful of the baddies. At the time she understood nothing, all she cared about was her empty stomach and it wasn't long after that dreadful event that she found herself in the care of Lady Emmald.

 _Now the old hag's dead_ , Sera chewed her lip, _alone again_. Fear constricted her throat and her stomach twisted, dizziness grabbed hold of her and the little girl in her surfaced. What was going to happen to her? The crawling sensation never left her yet she still didn't understand it very well, all she knew was that she hated the way this man touched her. She squeezed her eyes shut and kept her lips firmly sealed for fear of being beaten or worse, killed. Nobody talks back to the humans, they're allowed to do what they want to the elves and if you didn't comply you were next up with a noose tied around your neck: if they were feeling generous anyways. The way the man pressed into her against the dirty wall and breathed against her neck made her shiver with disgust, and he interpreted it the wrong way.

"Like it, do ya?" He chuckles huskily as his hand slides under her shirt and gropes her, "Got a decent handful, lackin' a bit. Grow a bit more and you can make a killin' at the Pearl… Gotta reduce the usual rate if ya stay at this size though," he licks along her neck and grins when she makes the smallest of squeaks, "Aw, shy? Don't needa hold back," he looks at his partner, "Make sure nobody comes down this alleyway or I'll gut ya like a pig, ye hear?"

"Got it," he turned around and crossed his arms as he stood watch, "But only if I get a turn."

Sera clenched her fists and desperately tried to imagine to be anywhere but here, her muscles were petrified and the repulsive touch was more than she could bear. _Stupid hag, all your fault,_ she squeezes her eyes tighter when she feels them water, _won't cry, can't cry._ She whimpers when the man painfully gropes her again, she was trapped, helpless, hungry, and all because she had a set of pointy ears. Anger engulfed her and the crawling sensation made her snap, she attempted to fight back when the man hooked his hand on the collar of her shirt and pulled down, easily ripping it in half. Her struggle was futile, the man growled and threw her to the muddy ground then kicked her in the ribs. She yelps and raises her hands to block her face, bracing herself when she sees the boot make way for her head.

It never came.

Pained grunts and sickening crunches echo in the alleyway, and Sera reluctantly opened her eyes. A cloaked figure knelt in front of her, hand extended as an offer to help her stand. Her eyes trail to the two corpses of the men that breathed mere seconds ago, blood pooling around them. She panics and shoots straight up, grimacing as stinging sensations wrack her ribs but this does not deter her, "Why'd you kill them?! I'll be strung for this!"

"You won't be, if you won't get caught." The hooded figure took off their cloak, revealing the woman who saved Sera. She tenderly wraps the cloak around the elf's shoulders and gazes at her with sympathy before glaring at the decaying men, "You're just a child still..."

"Ain't a kid," Sera retorts then crosses her arms, secretly thankful for the cloak.

The woman laughs, "You're right, sorry. How old are you? You look 17ish."

"Dunno," a pang of bitterness hits her but she swallows it down, "Always been an orphan. Most of my life anyway," Sera hesitantly glances down the alleyway and at the dead men, "Tell me what you want."

"Excuse me?"

"Ain't stupid lady. Humans don't talk to pointy ears unless they want something, and you saved me too. Must want something."

"I can't save someone in trouble out of the kindness of my heart?"

Sera scoffed, "I said I ain't stupid, lady." The woman smirked when Sera's stomach growled quietly, she gestured for the elf to follow her down the alleyway.

"Well then, there is something I want, and that's to get some food. How 'bout you and me grab some grub?" The offer was too tempting, and her savior seemed to be genuine. Sera nodded and stiffened when the woman's hands reached for her face, she flinched and shut her eyes. A lump formed in her throat as she heard the woman inhale sharply and mutter a curse, "Yer safe with me, ain't gonna touch you that way lass." Sera felt something soft hit her ears and on top of her head, she opened her eyes and saw that the woman had pulled up the hood. "There, now people won't give ya trouble if they can't see yer ears, yeah?" She smiles warmly when the elf nods and turns around to lead them down the alleyway, watching Sera closely without her noticing.

"How'd you know we were down there?" Sera asked, "I didn't see anybody follow."

"Right place, right time I s'pose. I've been wandering this city for hours," the woman scratched the side of her cheek and grins sheepishly, "I'm lost."

"You're joking right?" The elf deflates as her stomach growls loudly again, "Damn I dunno this part of the area either..." Her curiosity was nagging her, something about her savior was captivating and she wanted to know why, perhaps it was the prospect of being beautiful and deadly? The bow strapped to her back was intimidating yet beckoned to be touched. "Why you in Denerim?"

"So many questions," the woman chuckles and shrugs, "Came here to finish a job."

"Are you an assassin?"

"Maker, no! I'm too pretty to be an assassin," the woman flips her hair as if to emphasize her point and smirks when she catches Sera roll her eyes. "Too awesome, too. I'm something better than an assassin."

"That so?" Sera didn't believe a word this woman said anymore, her skepticism laced her tone. "King-slayer?"

"Even more awesome than that." _The heck else can she be?_ The elf tilted her head in confusion when the woman's carefree laughter echoed in the humid air, she found herself entranced when the woman clasped her hands behind her back and whirled around, skipping backwards. "I'm a Red Jenny."

"A what?" _Dumb name._

The woman visibly deflated but immediately bounced back full of energy, "We're a not-so-secret-secretive group that looks out for the little people and stick it to the bigwigs who deserve it. Like the two now eating a chock full of dirt at the arse end of nowhere," she grins as the elf's eyes light up, "We look after our own. Put a favor in, take a favor out, get paid to have fun." They managed to find themselves outside the Pearl and the woman glanced at Sera, "Ain't ever been to a brothel have ya kid?"

"I said I ain't a kid," Sera crossed her arms and frowned when the woman laughed, "But no. Never been."

"Still a virgin?"

"Ain't your business."

"Why so touchy?"

"Shut up I'm hungry not horny, ya old hag!"

"Shite," the woman raked her hand through her hair, "Make it hard to like ya kid," she defensively rose her hands at the glare, "Yeesh sorry. If ya don't wanna be called 'kid' then tell me your name already. Come on in anyways, I'm buddies with the bartender he'll whip up somethin' for us fer free."

Sera eyed the woman suspiciously as she followed her inside, still defensive about what the woman wanted from her. There's just no way she was doing it for the hell of it, right? Maybe… Most likely not. There had to be something she wanted. The elf sat two stools away from the woman who shrugged and rested her chin on her hand as she ordered two stews. The bartender looked at Sera and back at the woman who nodded, "It's alright Devin she's with me." _Devin, huh?_ Sera stayed on her guard and refused to give her own name, instead she waited for the bartender to reveal her savior's name.

"Got it Red." _Red? Oh right 'Red Jenny'._ The woman watched her from the corner of her eye, a look of pure boredom on her delicate features. She drummed on the counter-top with her fingers and smirked when the bartender grumbled in annoyance. Unbeknownst to Sera, the woman was analyzing her body language, every reaction and every word.

"So. Family?"

"None," Sera spat bitterly, "Told you alre-"

"Right shite sore topic, coulda just said so," the glint in the woman's eye proved she enjoyed getting on Sera's nerves, "Got some calloused fingers there. Steal and climb much?" The elf immediately hid her hands and glanced at the exit, "Relax, I'm a thief too yeah? Ain't gonna turn you in for shit I do too. You gonna tell me yer name yet?" The silent glare spoke volumes to the woman, "Alright well if yer not gonna open up then I will. Name's Sarah," she nodded appreciatively to the bartender when he passed her both bowls of stew and she slid one to the elf, "Now are you goi-"

"No," Sera lifted the bowl and shamelessly drank straight from it rather than use the spoon. She paid no attention to the slack jawed man and woman staring as she wolfed down the contents, and when she finished she easily stole Sarah's stew as well, grinning proudly when the woman was too slow to stop her. She greedily ate the second stew and slammed the bowl down, wiping her mouth with her forearm and patting her content stomach. "Thanks for the grub, hag."

"Ungrateful little shite aren'tcha," Sarah snickered, "Fast hands though..." She flipped a sovereign to the bartender and slid off the stool, "Thanks for the meal Devin, see you another time." The man waved dismissively and Sarah pointed her thumb to the door, "C'mon luv, I got somethin' I wanna show ya."

Sera reluctantly followed the woman out the brothel and wrinkled her nose in disgust as they passed a stinky, drunk dwarf accompanied by tanned and tattooed elf, _hey don't they look familiar?_ The woman sneered at the tanned elf and waved Sera over then whispered, "See that there? Bet that's a Dalish elf. Stay 'way from that lot, arseholes think they're better than everyone and they're vicious. Live in forests and kidnap babies, prolly to eat 'em for rituals and shite."

"Really?" _Heard stories but didn't hear those stories._

"Yep, damn elfy elves, always cause me trouble too. Yer alright though, different, now c'mon," the woman rounded the corner and walked over to a seemingly abandoned shack, she scanned the environment before reaching into her pockets and pulling out lock picks. She knelt down and gestured for Sera to come over, "Here I'll teach ya, with your fast hands you'll be able to pick this up in no time I bet." She smirked when the elf didn't hesitate, "Takes a bit of fiddling around, but the trick is to listen for the clicks and-" the lock snapped open and she stared at Sera, mouth slightly ajar. "Knew 'bout dem fast hands but..."

"It's not the first time I've picked a lock," Sera admitted, "Been living on the streets for a long time," she eyed the woman's bow, "That's something I haven't picked up on though."

"You wanna learn how to shoot?" Sarah asked incredulously then hummed thoughtfully, "Only if you tell me yer name."

"What kind of bloo-"

"You in or out luv? Non-negotiable."

"Ugh, fine. Emmald."

"Fulla shite, ya reek of it. Saved yer pretty arse and you're still defensive 'round me? C'mon, what's yer real name?"

Sera shifted uncomfortable and looked at the ground, "I don't actually have one. I don't know it, never did."

"Huh. So what do your friends call you?"

"I don't have friends," the elf's eyes watered and anger bubbled underneath her skin, "Always alone," _even with that old hag._ She clenched her fists and tensed when she felt a hand on her shoulder, _hate pity._

"Don't worry 'bout it luv, I'm sure you'll pick a good one for yourself some day, yeah?" Her eyes snapped to Sarah and the dam broke, tears rolled freely down her cheeks and the woman sheepishly scratched the back of her neck, "Shite didn't mean to make ya cry, uh," she glanced behind her and then unstrapped her bow, "Here, this'll make you feel better yeah? Stick an arrow in anything that pisses you off." The elf wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her tattered shirt and hesitantly smoothed her palm over the bow's grip.

"F-feels- _hic_ -weird..."

"Go on, take it. I'll teach ya how to shoot," the woman unbuckled the quiver and then strapped it to Sera, motioning for her to come inside the abandoned shack. Looking around, she decides to use the old dust-caked paintings on the wall as targets. "Stand here," she stalked behind the elf, "Feet shoulder width apart, relax your muscles. Good, now hold here and make sure you don't lock yer elbow, keep it bent and limber. When you pull the string back, let your shoulders do all the work and bring your shoulder blades together," she smoothed her hand along the elf's forearm and smirked at the nervous eyes peering back at her.

"T-this is-" Sera struggled to pull the string, "Really weird..."

"It's awkward at first, but you're already making better progress than most. It'll take some practice and time is all. The set up is what's most important, if you don't nail the posture before you shoot then ye might as well be chuckin' shoes instead. You almost got it, try thinking of touching your shoulders together. All the power comes from yer back, not arms, if ye try the arms you'll end up flabby and sore in a couple shots." Sarah reached into the quiver and pulled out an arrow, "Next is nocking the arrow. There's different ways to hold it so you'll need to try what ya like most. I only know and like the pinch grip." She held out the arrow, "Hold this end between your thumb and first finger here, and let the arrow-head rest along the groove here." The woman marveled at how at ease the elf seemed with the entire prospect then glanced away, guilt slowly settled in. She was teaching an orphaned teenager the tricks of her trade, and for what? Wouldn't she have a better life scraping by in the alienage?

"What next? Do I just let go?" _Hurts to hold for so long…_

Sarah looked at the elf and nodded, "Keep your back as straight and still as possible, only focus on releasing your grip and that's it. Otherwise you'll stray far off the target if you move even the slightest bit. Try and aim right in between the eyes of the guy in the portra-" the arrow whizzed by and nailed the target spot on, the woman stared incredulously as she whispered, "What the fuck… Beginner's luck?" Without a second thought, Sarah had made her decision and she slapped the elf across the shoulder in congratulations, "I've made up my mind 'bout ya kid. Join us Red Jennies."

"What for?" Sera reached back and fumbled for another arrow then tried to remember all the steps. Her shoulders shook slightly under the tension and cursed lowly, "Shite."

Sarah smiled with pride, "Stealing my bow and stealing my words, you're a thief at heart Kid. Don't you think this is better than stressing if you'll live through the night? And you'll get to stick all the arrows in all the baddies you could ever want, they ain't in short supply." She tilted her head and glanced over the elf's shoulder then smoothed her hands along her arms to correct her, "Don't forget the elbow Kid, or you'll pop it the other way."

The elf stiffened lightly at the feel of calloused hands rubbing along her skin, Sarah's proximity only made things worse. _Would be a better life I guess,_ Sera narrowed her eyes and huffed at the portrait then aimed lower, she released the shot and nailed her target. The woman bellowed out, "Right in the daddy-bags! I like how ya think ye ruddy runt. Well? Whatcha think? I'll introduce ye to my contacts and you'll be set. Need more doubters like you too, good at sniffin' shite out."

"So you want me to be a snitch?" Sera lowered the bow and rubbed her aching shoulders, _gonna need to practice lots._ She shrugged, "Ah why not, sounds like it'll be fun. Better than eatin' rotten trash or..." She trails off when the two men popped into her mind and grimaced, the woman picked up on this immediately.

"Won't have to worry 'bout none of that no more ye hear?" She reassuringly placed her hand on the elf's shoulder, "I'll take care of ya," she chuckled quietly, "My personal partner in crime. Well let's go to the inn and grab a wink then how's that sound?"

"Those cost too much, the stables have some comfy hay and-"

"Don't ye worry 'bout a thing luv," Sarah winked, "Know the owner there too, and she owes me a couple favors." The woman poked her head out and checked to see if anyone was around, then gestured to Sera to follow quickly. They stuck to the shadows and Sarah glanced behind her, a look of concentration and confusion mixed together. "Y'know this been buggin' me a while, but ain't I seen you 'round before?"

The elf stiffened and gave Sarah another once over, _don't think I snagged her coin purse,_ and shrugged, "Never seen you before," _I'd remember you if I did._

"Huh, weird..." The woman scratched her head and crossed her arms, lost in thought as they weaved through empty alleyways towards the main plaza. "Hmmm…" She stares at Sera with intense focus and this freaked the elf out.

"Bugger off, hag! Creepy when ya stare!" She froze when the woman grinned and walked right up to her, faces inches away with her arms still crossed and eyes trailing along her features. _She's real pretty..._

"Know I've seen ya somewhere, weren't you somebody's kid?"

"Everyone's had parents," Sera scoffed, "M'here somehow right?"

The woman bellowed out and playfully slapped Sera's shoulder, "I meant someone looked after ya ye daft tit! Hmmmm," she whirled around and folded her hands behind her head, "It'll come to me eventually. Hey bring up the hood we're almost there." _Aren't we going to the marketplace?_ The elf complied and tied the strings extra tight, anxiety churning in her stomach, _hope the sergeant don't recognize me._ She kept her eyes low and avoided eye contact with the others, knowing odd glances were cast her way, _cloak an' bow, I'd stare too._ Her eyes trailed along the woman's toned back, _she don't care?_

Sarah pushed the doors open so hard they slammed against the walls, she winced and sheepishly apologized to the wench that chastised her immediately. "Calm yer tits Becca," she grinned knowingly, "Need to get laid. Want help with that?" The wench rolled her eyes and thumbed around the corner, "She's 'round the back, Theo's havin' a bad day so be careful wit'im. Try not to kill this one or the Boss'll be upset again."

"Thanks luv," the woman tossed her a sovereign, _how rich is she?_ "I'll handle it no problem. Think ye can bring us some ale? Good stuff though," she points to the nervous elf trailing closely behind her, "Gonna be this kid's first time."

Sera's anxiety increased tenfold and she seethed quietly, "Oi thought you were gonna show me the ropes, not sell me off!"

"Relax!" The woman turned around the corner and head down the hall, "Meant first time drinkin' ye daft tit. Damn d'ya treat all humans as slavers or somethin'?"

"Most are when it comes to people with pointy ears," Sera gritted her teeth, "Don't get it either. I'm a person just like anybody else."

"I hear ya," Sarah nodded and glanced at her, "Careful with Theo, he preys on tension like a hawk and he'll see yer shoulders hiked up there. Relax a bit yeah?" She made way to the bodyguard and quietly whispered to him, they both glanced at the elf and Sarah seemingly looked upset. _Wonder what's wrong?_ The woman stomped back to Sera and unstrapped the bow and quiver on top of the cloak, "Gimme one minute luv, got to _persuade_ this half wit." _She's gonna threaten him?! But we need a place to sleep!_

The bodyguard rose his hands immediately as Sarah pointed the bow at him and cussed loudly, he caved in and stepped to the side, allowing passage into the room. She strapped the bow back to the quiver and smiled sweetly at him, whispering something the elf couldn't hear again. _This lady don't give a shite,_ Sera smirked, _she's a real badass…_ "Most important lesson of all," the woman whispered as they went inside the room, "Arrows first, talk second." They approached the lady sitting on the luxurious couch, and Sarah grinned when the lady let out a frustrated sigh.

"How many times do ya gotta scare off my bodyguards? And they still don't do their damn job no matter how much I pay 'em."

"Quit hiring balls then, y'know pussy's tougher. They always take a beatin'," Sarah chuckled, "Need a place to stay for the night and a job for the whelp here," she thumbed at Sera, "Helpin' her start her new life as a Jenny. Got any leads?"

"I thought you were gonna teach me shooting first," the elf grumbled when Sarah merely laughed and patted her shoulder, _carefree as all hell! This is my damn life she's playin' with!_ She looked around the lavish room in awe, _even Lady Emmald never had it this good._ Her eyes skeptically glanced at the owner as she and Sarah exchanged more crude jokes, _this is what bein' a Red Jenny's like huh._ The corners of her lips curled into a smirk, _stick it to those who deserve it huh? And help the little people…_ Guilt washed over her, _how many kids like me are out there right now?_ She was snapped out of her thoughts when Sarah snapped her fingers in front of her face and shook her shoulders.

"Oi, Kid, yer freakin' me out here!" The woman sighed when Sera looked at her and shrugged, "Yeesh, you do that lots? Never mind that I got us a room and a good job, I'll get to introduce ye to some of the folks I work with from time to time too. Fer now lets catch some Z's yeah?" She grasped the elf's wrists and tugged her along, "Finally remembered who you are too, shoulda figured it sooner when ye gave me yer fake name. How's Lady Emmald holdin' up?"

 _How's she know her?_ Sera stiffened and glanced nervously at her, "She's dead."

"Wait what?" The woman whirled around and locked the door behind them immediately, "Whaddya mean she's dead?"

"Passed away last year," the elf crossed her arms, "Been on my own again ever since."

"Shite," Sarah breathed and wove her fingers through her hair, "Damn… Was one of my best contacts too, well this fuckin' sucks," muffled knocks caught their attention and the woman went to answer the door. It was the wench from before, two mugs in one hand and a small barrel tucked under her other arm. "Thanks luv, definitely gon' need this," she tipped another sovereign and closed the door, sighing when she placed the barrel at the edge of the table. The tension hung thick in the air and she chuckled quietly, "Sorry, always hits me hard, this. She was a good friend. Well then," she snapped off the tap and poured the ale in the mugs, "Here's to celebrating her life then!"

Sera hesitantly looked in the mug as she grabbed it with both hands, earning snickers from the woman across from her. "Go on try it, strong stuff though so watch out. You'll get buzzed in just two gulps." Sarah downed an entire mug and whooped, wiping her mouth with her forearm when the ale trickled down her lips. She watches with pride when the elf decides to try the same, only to cough and sputter.

"That burns!" Sera clutched her throat with one hand, "How the hell do ya drink this piss?" _Tastes better than my piss though so guess I can't complain._ She felt lightheaded and suddenly it was a lot harder to decipher what the woman was actually saying, she held out the mug, "Fuck it. Gimme more." The weight returned and she peered in the mug, downing it again and grimacing at the burn. She vaguely registered Sarah's laughs and grinned sloppily, hiccuping as she nursed her always-full mug.

* * *

A string of curses and a pounding headache woke the elf up, she rolled on her side and covered her ears as she groaned. "Fuck," she breathed and blearily looked around, "What the hell happened?" She froze when she looked down and noticed something was amiss.

She was naked.

"What the fuck?!" She shoots up and immediately regrets it when her brain threatened to explode, she glanced behind her and noticed the next glaringly terrible thing amiss.

Sarah was naked too.

The woman was pacing back and forth, whispering cusses before she noticed Sera staring at her, "I can explain. I think. Actually no I can't, shite," she cautiously strode to the elf, "Do you remember what happened last night?" She chewed her lip when Sera shook her head, "Crap. Well, are you-uh, sore? Down there specifically?"

"Can't tell," the elf groaned and cradled her head in her hands, "Bloody achin' everywhere," _wait, down there?_ Realization dawned on her and she looked at the woman, "We-we… We… No way..."

"Fucked? I dunno either luv," she reaches out and winces when Sera flinches, "I didn't mean-I mean… Yer pretty but I-fuck I'm makin' this worse. Didn't wanna take advantage of ye, I swear it on me life. But yer pretty and when I drink I tend to..." She sighed when she searched the elf's eyes. "I'm sorry for betrayin' yer trust like that." Sarah sifted through the scattered clothes, the guilt rising more and more every time she stole a peek at the curled up elf. She froze when Sera finally mumbled quietly.

"I'd be lyin' if I said I didn't wanna try..." Sera rose her head and stared at the woman then hopped off the bed, swallowing her insecurities and vulnerability as she strode towards her. "I can't remember last night. I want to t-try it. Teach me."

The woman stared slack-jawed then shook her head, smiling sadly, "Ye deserve better than me kid. I take my fun wherever I can find it, and I'd be doin' ye an injustice if I treated you like that yeah?" She patted the elf's shoulder reassuringly, "Ye got a long life ahead o' ya, there's no rush. You'll find someone special to ya someday, believe me. C'mon dress up. We're gonna go meet my folks and get more details on yer first job," she gathers the pile of Sera's clothes and hands it to her then dons her own things. Sera complied silently as she tried to ignore the bittersweet rejection, _screwed once but won't do it twice? Lyin' through yer teeth, stupid hag._

After they were set, the woman helped strap the quiver and bow to Sera and straightened out the cloak. She reached into one of her hidden pouches sewn under her coat and pulled out a small coin purse, handing it to the elf. "As a Red Jenny, ye gotta work with what ya got and be mindful of how to use it. The clothes on yer back, that pouch in your hands, that's all yer getting. I'll be there just to look pretty, the first thing you'll needa do is learn how to watch out for yourself."

"That's it? I thought you were-"

"Gonna introduce ya to my contacts and that's it luv. You're on yer own from there, can't always hold your hand yeah? Every Jenny's gotta keep an eye out for themselves."

Sera grits her teeth, _she's ditching me now?_ "Fine, stupid hag. Let's go," _it's 'cause I'm an elf ain't it? You don't wanna be caught sleepin' with someone who's got a pair of pointy ears._ Her bitterness swallowed her and as soon as they met up with the other Red Jennies, Sera flipped her middle finger to the woman, took the sheet with the contact's details, and ran. _Fine, don't need you either! I'll be even better than you!_

She never looked back.

It took her days to find the contact, she asked around and tried to distract herself from the boiling anger beneath. _Arrows first, talk second,_ she clenched her fists when she stood in front of her contact's home. There was a little elven girl who seemed no older than ten, tears rolled down her cheeks and snot poured from her nose as she sat in front of the door and reluctantly let Sera in. She crinkled her nose in disgust at the stench in the house and followed the little girl, _this what it's like for a buncha elves holed up in a run-down shack?_ Her blood froze when she entered the main room, the horrid sight forever burned in her mind. The little girl's parents were slaughtered and mutilated, and letters were written on the wall with their blood.

 **WE WARNED YOU KNIFE EARS**

The little girl tugged on her hand and Sera knelt down, immediately lifting her up and carrying her out of the shack. She felt as though she was going to snap any second when she felt tears soak through her cloak, and when they made it outside she set the girl down, _ain't right, all this just coz of our ears? And what do I do with this kid?!_ She sighs then takes off the cloak, wrapping it around the little girl as she takes out her small coin purse. She opened the girl's palm and dropped the pouch in her hands, "I promise I'll find the pricks who did this to yer parents," she smoothed the little girl's hair bangs back, "Take this too." She reached into her pocket then pulled out the paper with the contact details and quickly scribbled an address with a sketch on the back. "Find this place, this should be enough gold to help you out."

"Wait," the little girl squeezed her hand, "What's your name?" Without missing a beat, the elf grinned reassuringly and squeezed back.

"Sera."


	2. New Life, New Identity

**Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!**

 **AN** **:** I simply love the elvhen dialect so I may get carried away, but at the top and end of this chapter (for ease of scrolling) will have a legend containing the phrases and their translations. These are by no means 100% correct since much of the elvhen language is open to interpretation as well as implication, so the words and phrases I use are what I  intend it to mean. If I've missed anything not added to the list, let me know! Next chapter will begin the story of Sera and Lavellan together :)

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _Elgar'nan:_ God of Vengeance

 _Ir abelas:_ I'm sorry

 _Samahl:_ laugh/laughter (chose this as the brother's name)

 _Ar tu na'din:_ I will kill you

 _Halam sahlin:_ This ends now

 _Da'len:_ little child

 _Mala suledin nadas:_ Now you must endure

 _Dareth Shiral:_ Safe journey/Farewell

 _Ar lasa mala revas:_ You are free/I give you your freedom

 _Ma serannas:_ My thanks/Thank you

 _Shemlen:_ Quick children, the name for humans

 _An'eth'ara:_ 'My safe place', a friendly greeting

 _Hahren:_ Elder

 _Ir tel'him, ir vhenas:_ I'm me again, I'm home

 _Ahn?:_ Huh? What?

 _Ma emma harel:_ You should fear me (Ellana intentionally lies about the meaning)

 _Elvhen'alas:_ Dirt elves

 _Durgen'len:_ Children of the stone, the name for dwarves

* * *

 **New Life, New Identity**

* * *

Fire flickers in her palm as her pupils dilate to adjust to the dim lighting of the tent. At the sight of her older brother she smiles warmly, silently watching as his chest rises and falls. She sits beside him and tenderly lifts his head and places it in her lap, her fingers lightly tracing his new vallaslin of Elgar'nan. His nose crinkles and seconds later his hand comes to swat the offender away, Ellana giggles quietly and continues to annoy the young man, the tip of her tongue visible as it pokes out. Her finger lightly skims the vallaslin on her brother's lip and he abruptly wakes, yelping and shooting up from her lap. "Ir abelas Samahl," Lavellan quietly whispered and averts her gaze to the ground, "I was curious."

The young man laughs and playfully ruffles her hair, "Don't look so glum, it doesn't suit you Ena. Your touch wasn't painful, I was just surprised that's all." To prove his point he slaps his own cheek and smirks when the guilt-ridden mage laughs, "See?"

Ellana nods and wipes a tear from the corner of her eye, "You're silly."

"Runs in the family don't you think? Besides, I get confused when the creature in front of me is anything but carefree or bouncing with joy." Samahl lightly rapped on the mage's forehead with his knuckles, "Hello? Can I have my sister back?" His eyes dance with amusement when Ellana huffs and swats his hand away, "That's my payback, Ena. Anyways, want to go swim for a bit?" He grins when he sees her eyes light up before she shuffles uncomfortably, unsure.

"Aren't you tired from your hunt?"

"Nah, besides we both need to relax a bit more. You must be going crazy with Keeper Istimaethoriel constantly shoving your nose in books. Ah, that reminds me," he helps Ellana stand and takes the lead as they make way for the nearby pond, "How are your studies going?" The dalish mage shifted her eyes and out of habit rubbed the back of her neck, Samahl chuckled quietly, "You snuck out into the forest again didn't you." It was more a factual statement rather than a question, and the young woman bowed her head guiltily.

"Ir abelas, it's just so much reading and Deshanna doesn't let me play with the others. How am I supposed to lead this clan in the future if I don't know my own kin?"

"That's just your excuse so you get to play and we all know it Ena," he chided gently, "One day everybody will depend on you. You need to be a leader. You need to be responsible, you're turning nineteen this year and yet still have no vallaslin." Samahl unstrapped his bow and quiver then laid it against one of the rocks, sighing in content as he wades into the pond.

"I knoo-OOOO-ooow," she grumbled and picked up a pebble, "I promise I'll work harder. I'll make mamae and babae proud too," she threw the pebble and giggled cheerfully when it successfully skipped all the way across the pond. "Finally beat your record!"

"Only took you a year. Are you going to come in?"

"Did you forget what happened last time?" Ellana grinned as her brother visibly paled, he shook his head.

"Never mind, I don't want to turn into a smoked slab of meat if you get too hyper. Creators, you're like a child aren't you?" He laughed as she stuck her tongue out at him, "I take that back, you're not like a child. You're still a child," he grinned when she scoffed, his victory didn't last long though. Fear gripped his heart as he watched his sister sprint towards the pond and leap then curl into a ball, "Ena wait no!" As soon as she hit the water it began to boil, a faint orange glow illuminated the surface. Samahl rushed to the edge then climbed out and light steam rose from his skin, "Children don't set the water on fire, Ena! You'll evaporate the whole pond at this rate!"

The dalish mage paid no mind to her chastising brother, her carefree laughter swayed and danced among the trees. She dove down into the depths, _I'll beat his record at holding my breath too!_ As she swam lower, she noticed bright, colorful fish and stalked them, mindful not to laugh under water of all places. It served as a useful distraction when they darted to and fro, seemingly dancing around her. _I hope he counted for me,_ her lungs screamed for air and she reluctantly caved in to the demand, bursting back to the top.

"See that Sama...hl..." Her eyes widened in horror and she swam to the edge, " **Samahl**!" She scrambled to her brother's motionless body and cradled him, shouting at him while desperately ignoring the arrow in his chest and blood pooling beneath him. "Why..." She swallowed the thick lump down and struggled to lift him up, "This has to be a bad dream, Keeper warned me of such. Right, I must've drowned again right Samahl? You're going to save me again right? Come back..." Her trembling hands made way to his neck, she checked for a pulse and nearly shattered on the spot. _It's like mamae and_ _b_ _a_ _b_ _ae._

Dead.

"Falon'Din-" she choked as guilt and regret crashed down on her, _I don't know the words, I didn't study that rite._ Tears flowed freely and all she could do was hug the lifeless corpse as she sobbed loudly, mind scrambled and disoriented. "This isn't real," she chanted, "It's the Fade playing tricks again… It's got to be, right?" Ellana desperately tried to barricade herself to prevent the pain coming back, she caged her heart with walls all over again. It took years for her brother to chip away at them when they lost their parents, now nobody was left except the clan. Her head popped up, "The clan!"

"Hold it right there!"

Lavellan whipped her head to the source of the voice, four human men had surrounded her, all of them exchanging hesitant glances. "Another one of them Dalish, men," one of the archers remarked as he aimed his arrow at Ellana's head. "Put this one down just like the boy," he snickered sadistically, "All those scary stories of ya'll kidnapping babies and eatin' people, ain't nothin' but a buncha knife-ears kissing dirt in a forest instead of the city."

"We can have fun with this one can't we Boss? She sure is pretty, and I love me red-heads."

Ellana buried her face back in her brother's chest, _were these the men that killed you?_ Her rapidly rising anger tuned out the men's voices and she stood, fists clenched and head still bowed. One of the archers whistled, "Woo-whee, looks like she's mad! Love feisty red-heads, I call the first round," he howled as he loosened his belt and the other men groaned, "Ya snooze ye lose fellas!" He made way to the mage and made the mistake that cost his life, he placed his hand on her shoulder.

Her temperature alone burnt straight to his bone.

The man falls on his rear-end shouting and cradling his hand, the lack of pain terrified him for he knew he had no nerves left. " **FUCK** **!** Who the hell is this bitch?! Kill her!" The other three men looked at each other and took formation then surrounded the simmering dalish mage who remained still, her hair bangs covering her eyes.

"Unforgivable," she seethed venomously, "Ar tu na'din."

"What was that, skank?!" One swordsman rushes forward, intending to slash at her face. He tripped over the dead brother's legs and panicked when the dalish mage side-stepped and grabbed his forearm. He screamed in agony as the searing steam chewed his flesh and he attempted to strike with his free arm, but it was futile when she blocked then grabbed that as well. "Help me, assholes!" He pleaded to the other two men, they were frozen in shock and instead of helping they turned tail and ran. Lavellan's head rose, her smoldering coal eyes now pitch black, there was no emotion in them, not even anger. It was as if they were snuffed out like the fire that once burned inside her a few minutes ago-when her brother was still alive.

"You," she muttered lowly and outstretched one of her hands, creating a massive wall of fire to stop the other two men from escaping before changing it into a circle that closed in on them. "You… Stole something precious from me," she glared at the crying man screaming for help in her burning grip, "My best friend," she clenched tighter, "Unforgivable." The flames charred bone and engulfed the rest, the muscles and skin, not even blood dripped on the ground. The intense heat from Ellana's fury alone smothered and suffocated the man, he fell limp in her grasp. She dropped him and made way for the first downed-man who's eyes widened in fear. He stretched out his hand and pleaded for mercy, she knelt down and grabbed him by the neck. "Why? Why did you kill him?!"

The man spat in her face, "Go fuck yourself you stupid bitch! All knife-ears deserve to die!"

"Then you can see everyone you've already condemned to the same fate you'll suffer," Ellana's rage came back to life and went haywire, endless fire streamed from her hands as she slowly burned the man alive. She looked back at the two men trapped in the circle, grinning sadistically as they howled in agony, "Know the extent of my pain, my anger. Creators have mercy on you, for you'll find none here. Halam sahlin!" With a gesture of her fist she closed the circle and extinguished the flames, as she walked to the burnt corpses her nose wrinkled in disgust at the smell. She spat on the ashes of the second man and made way for her brother, gently cradling him and slowly walking back to camp. By the time she reached her clan… She was completely numb of all emotion.

* * *

"Da'len, you must eat," the Keeper urged gently. For half a week Lavellan had done nothing but stay curled up in a ball and this greatly worried the rest of the clan. She was famous for her appetite and lively energy, bouncing around the camp and sating whatever curiosity swept her thoughts. Now she was but a dull and empty husk, barely a reminder of what once was. Many of the others had attempted to appeal to her stomach instead, but Ellana had grown nauseous just at the slightest whiff of food. "Ir abelas, Da'len… It was not your fault."

"Vallaslin," Ellana whispered, then rose her head and stared at the Keeper with unexpected resolve. "Elgar'nan."

Keeper Istimaethoriel gazed sorrowfully at the troubled mage, "You will regret it, Da'len. You are not a child of retribution."

"Just give it to me Keeper, I can handle it."

"Because you no longer feel pain, and that worries us. Besides," the Keeper smiled and stroked a stray tear off Ellana's face, "You're too pretty to have half your face marked. Your mother..." She trailed off at the flash of hurt on Lavellan's face.

"Keeper," the dalish mage sighed frustratedly, "I know I wasn't serious before and that's why you didn't take me seriously either. But I'm serious now. Please… It'll be the only thing I have left from Samahl. I'm ready. Let me prove it."

"Allow me to prepare then," the Keeper nodded and hesitantly left the troubled woman by herself, but returned in all due haste. "Mala suledin nadas, Da'len. This marks both the end and the beginning of a chapter in your life. We are all proud of you." Ellana nodded and braced herself for the immense pain, but it never came. She absentmindedly wondered why, until she realized she had already gone through the worst pain of them all.

Losing the friend she loved most: _dareth shiral, Samahl. I'll keep my promise and make you proud too._

* * *

It had been a full year since Lavellan lost her brother, and she had done nothing but train and study the entire time. She could recite the rites in her sleep, and showed wisdom none of the other clan mates had ever expected her to have or understand. With great insistence, the Keeper allowed the clan to travel back to where her brother had been killed so that she could give him the goodbye he deserved and the peace she craved. She waved to the Keeper and smiled warmly to reassure her, concern clearly etched in her eyes, "I'll be alright. I need to make it up to Samahl or he will chastise me endlessly when my time has come."

"Ar lasa mala revas, Da'len. Dareth Shiral."

"Ma serannas Hahren." With renewed resolve, Ellana hugs the Keeper and parts, nodding reassuringly to other worried clan members. _Nay, not clan members,_ she laughs and briefly lifts one of the playful children, mimicking him as he makes flying swooshing sounds.

 _Family._

As she lowers the child he tugs on her hand, he too looked worried. "It seems everyone can sense the atmosphere," Ellana whispered and playfully ruffled the child's hair before he swatted her hand and ran away. _I must be swift, else the bogged spirits will claim us._ She wove through the trees and thick brush, astonished that the forest had grown so much since she last saw it. She looked behind her to make sure nobody was following her, and when she knew she was alone she dropped her act. She allowed herself the moment of weakness, for she had put on a brave face to ease the concerns of her family and cried as she found the same pond. It had thrived and looked even more beautiful than before, and Lavellan dipped her feet in the water, eyes distant as she smiled sadly. She knelt and looked at her reflection in the water, fingers trailing along the tattooed vines before covering the half of the face that was heavily marked.

"I'm moving on, Samahl, and I promise I will never let another go through what you and I have. Not another will lose their precious life to the shemlen, and not another will be forced to grow up. Life for the children will be free, carefree, and safe." She waded deeper into the water, arms spread out as she danced in slow circles, her childish spirit sparking back to life as she sung quietly.

 _"Hahren na melana sahlin_

 _Emma ir abelas_

 _Souver'inan isala hamin_

 _Vhenan him dor'felas_

 _In uthenera na revas"_

Voice choked and tears flowing freely, Ellana forces out the rest of the words as her heart falls into pieces, one by one. The haunting memories of that day played over and over again before her eyes, she could see herself jump into the deeper end of the pond, cradling her brother's motionless body, and the burnt corpses that trailed behind her. Her eyes fell to the barren spots of the dirt where ashes yet lay, and looks away to sooth the rising anger.

 _"Vir sulahn'nehn_

 _Vir dirthera_

 _Vir samahl la numin_

 _Vir lath sa'vunin"_

Rustling nearby alerted her and she whirled around, flames dancing in her palms as her eyes searched the bushes. She sighed in relief and chuckled as the tension melted, "An'eth'ara, what are you doing here?" She extinguished the fire and strode to the young hart that had followed her, hand smoothing along its cheek. "All this sadness, this anger, and yet you still come... I wonder why?" _Quite brave of her indeed._ The hart stared quietly and nudged her hand, she laughed, "Have you come to check on me yourself Samahl?" She inspected the hart and smiled warmly, "Would you like to join my family?" The hart shifted to its side and stepped closer to her, pressing it's body into her hand, Lavellan graciously takes her offer and hops on her back. Together they traveled back to camp in solemn silence, Ellana looked back at the pond one more time and waved to nobody in particular, "Dareth shiral Samahl."

Lavellan wove through the wagons and went straight to the Halla Keeper, sliding off the hart and bowing in gratitude, "Ma serannas, falon. May we ride again some time?" She laughed when the hart nudged their cheeks together, then licked her. She patted it's rear leg and nodded to the Halla Keeper, "She found me at the pond and graciously brought me back here. May we keep her?"

"Of course Da'len, all friends are welcome here." Ellana's face lit up and she eagerly bowed, turning on her heel and spurred on by the Halla Keeper's laughter as she rushed back to the main tent. The Halla Keeper guided and pet the hart, "Ma serannas, you've given us all something all of us sorely missed. Her smile."

"Hahren! Keeper Istimaethoriel!" Lavellan startled the elder mage as she rounded the wagon with unexpected energy, she paused and matched the curious gaze with her own, "What's wrong?"

"Ah… Nothing Da'len," Deshanna strode to the young mage and smiled warmly, "It's just been so long since I've seen you happy, I'm sure the rest of the clan feels the same way. You've made your peace, then?"

"Yes," Ellana grinned, "Samahl watches over me, a young hart found me at the pond and guided me back here." Her grin grew at the surprised look on the Keeper's face, "Ir abelas, I've been blind, Hahren. All this time I thought I had been alone, I never saw what was in front of me. Ir tel'him, ir vhenas."

"You've matured into a fine young woman, your parents gave you a fitting name." The Keeper gave the young dalish mage an affectionate hug and whispered, "Welcome home."

Curious as to what Deshanna meant the mage blurts out when they part, "What does my name mean? And the nickname Samahl gave me too," her eyes cast down as she mumbled with a sad smile, "Ena..."

"Ellana. One who has the ability to do anything and Ena," the Keeper chuckled half-heartedly, "In our language it is to appear or emerge but I think he meant the other meaning: passionate, fiery. I'm not sure if he meant it as a tease for your temper or your natural affinity for flames."

"Both," Lavellan grumbled and crossed her arms, "He always loved to make jokes and laugh. Mamae gave him a fitting name too." She glanced behind her and noticed a couple of children had been patiently waiting and smiled sheepishly as she looked back at Deshanna. "Could I… Perhaps…?" As soon as the Keeper nodded, the children giggled and set off sprinting as Ellana chased after them to play.

* * *

"Ahn?"

"As I've explained," the Keeper sighed and rubbed her forehead, she knew this would not be easy but would force the young dalish woman if she had to. "There is a meeting at the Temple of Sacred Ashes that will determine what happens between mages and templars. This will most certainly affect the fate of the Dalish as well, and-"

"And I get that, you want me to spy on the shemlen," Ellana spat vehemently and crossed her arms, "But no. I'm not doing it."

"Da'len, please..."

"With all due respect Hahren, you know very well I would sooner roast the shemlen than play nice and spy. Can't you send one of the hunters instead?"

"You have studied not just the ways of the elvhen or magic, but the humans as well. This is a task of utmost importance that I trust only you to accomplish successfully. The fate of our people hangs on the conclave."

"What of the clan?" Ellana rubbed her clammy palms together and fidgeted nervously as she sought out every plausible excuse she could use not to go, "What of their safety? What if I'll set the place on fire? Heh," she snickered quietly, "Then it'd just be Sacred Ashes..." That earned the Keeper's rare glare and averted her gaze downwards, "Ir abelas Hahren."

"You must and will go, you are the most capable of us to do this. Say your goodbyes and prepare to leave tomorrow," Deshanna turned on her heel and left the moping mage with the children who had eavesdropped on the conversation. They rushed towards Lavellan and tackled her in a crushing hug as they protested and cried. Ellana soothed the children with reassurances and forced a smile on her face as she went to each independent clan mate to bade her farewells. When she set out for the conclave, her mind reeled back to what Samahl had once told her as she later learned the weight of his words.

 _ **One day everybody will depend on you. You need to be a leader.**_

* * *

When Lavellan awoke, she genuinely believed she was stuck in the Fade. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and never even in her worst nightmare would she be fighting alongside a shemlen. She hadn't a single clue how she survived the blast nor what happened prior, her last memory was nearly arriving at the temple and saying goodbye to the hart that guided her there. She wrestled with the clunky boots and clothes she 'persuaded' a lone mercenary to 'donate', _sure was funny seeing a shemlen dance with fire flying at his feet._ Though that's where the memory ends, and Ellana did not know what to make of her current situation apart from the incessant nagging sensation that has taken permanent residence in her hand. The giant hole in the sky forced her to set aside her personal anger regarding shemlen and cooperate with the woman known as Seeker Cassandra.

Lavellan's eye twitched when the Seeker herself seemed reluctant to cooperate with her, however, as soon as she had a staff in her hands. "Creators… I don't need a staff to be dangerous."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Cassandra scoffed.

"Ma emma harel," Ellana muttered then shook her head at the confused look the warrior gave her, "I said we need to trust each other. I haven't used my magic on you, and I haven't run away. If I can close that hole then I'll do whatever I need to in order to keep my people safe." _Especially from yours, this would have never happened if you stupid shemlen would stop fighting amongst yourselves and getting my people caught in the middle of your stupid war._

"Fair enough, I should have remembered you agreed to help rather than run away…" The Seeker reluctantly backed down and sheathed her sword, she turned on her heel and started to march up the hill without another word. The closer they got to the hole in the sky, the more profound the whisper in Lavellan's mind seemed. It was as if she was pulled, drawn to something, and when she encountered her first rift where she met Solas and Varric she inwardly agreed the Keeper was both right... And wrong. Right that this whole thing would change the fate of the elvhen, wrong for sending the wrong person, now enticed by the demons that so easily crossed the veil. She shook her head and gritted her teeth, _what will the clan think of me now that I have this mark on my hand? And the shemlen believe it was_ _their_ _god that saved me, tch._ She stares at the reticent elf walking beside her, _no vallaslin?_

As if sensing her question Solas smirked, "I am not Dalish, no." He chuckled lowly when Lavellan visibly deflated but bounced back with renewed resolve.

"Even so, it's comforting to fight alongside someone I share much in common with."

"Why? Because of my ears?" The hostile tone in Solas's voice sent the dalish mage on the defensive, but before she could protest the group had reached the second rift at the forward camp. Any thoughts regarding the spat with Solas was promptly cast out of her mind as she successfully managed to close the tear, her energy strained and fatigue had begun to scrape the edges of her focus. Even so, the group successfully plowed through the mountain and eventually reached the final rift, where the whispers had grown louder.

Lavellan's neck strained as she looked up, mouth hung ajar. She pointed to the rift and stared at the Seeker, "I don't even know how to get up there..." _Does she think I can fly?_ It didn't help that she had a nagging feeling in her gut that screamed something was wrong as the group descended the stairs, _of course it's all wrong, there's a hole in the sky!_ She took off her lone glove and rubbed her sweaty palms together to appease the growing nervousness. When the voices boomed and she saw the vision of the Divine and herself, her stomach sank and her heart thundered erratically. She wanted nothing more but to run away, _now I'm caught up in shemlen machinations, if I get out of here alive they'll kill not just me but the clan too…_ Her eyes skittered about as everyone took formation around the rift, _but if I don't close this, everyone dies anyways._ Ignoring the whispers, she stretches out her hand and prays silently.

 _Mythal, Preserve Me_

 _Elgar'nan, Give Me Strength_

 _Falon'Din, Calm My Soul_

 _Dirthamen, Uncloud My Eyes_

 _Ghilan'nain, Speed My Steps_

 _Andruil, Aim Me True_

 _Sylaise, Guide Me Home_

 _Fen'Harel, Return To Me_

The tingling sensation grew stronger, and a different kind of warmth seeped into her muscles. Her mouth gaped at the pride demon that crossed the veil and her throat constricted, her head whirled to the others. They were in shock, scared as well, Lavellan clenches her teeth when the demon makes way for one of the soldiers. _Working with shems and now saving them too?! Samahl help me!_ She drew the demon's attention by hitting it with small bouts of flame, her anger quickly rose when it had no effect. Her eyes widened when the demon extended his hand, a large orb sparking in its palm. Her legs froze, refused to move, all she could do was close her eyes and prepare herself.

 _O Falon'Din_

 _Lethanavir-Friend to the Dead_

 _Guide my feet, calm my soul,_

 _Lead me to my rest_

Ellana chewed her lip as her frustration rose, she hadn't wanted to die, especially like this. It was too late however, the demon shot off the orb in her direction despite everyone else hitting away at it. It wasn't long she groaned and grumbled, her body aching as it was flattened against the cold ground. _This is what Samahl felt?_ It was then she registered the weight and warmth on top of her, and she hesitantly peered one eye open, surprised to see Solas's face inches away. He scrambled off and helped pull her up, "The rift! Weaken the rift, it'll weaken the demon!" Lavellan nodded and focused on the rift once more, soon the demon was vulnerable and indeed whittled away from the constant onslaught of their attacks. When the demon knelt on one knee, she glanced at Solas before back at the rift and smiled, _I guess he isn't so bad after all…_ The blast from the rift left no room for thought and knocked her out cold.

* * *

At Haven, Ellana had spent the majority of the time moping and missing her clan. She caught the dirty looks, the whispered 'knife-ear', and the general atmosphere was thick with anxiety and skepticism. "Not like I asked to be called the Herald… I don't even believe in your stupid god," she mumbled as she hugged her knees to her chest. _I really don't want to go to Val Royeaux._ She also decidedly retracted her good impression of Solas when his hostility towards the dalish became evident in the way he spoke of elves and magic. Her mounting frustration at their conversation was enough to force her out of her bed and walk towards the war room, _what's wrong with him? I bet he really is allergic to Halla. We've done nothing to him and he slanders us anyways!_

The only two shemlens she could tolerate were the Ambassador and the Spymaster, though she admittedly felt bitter when Josephine greeted her in her own tongue. _Perhaps I should apologize to her, I was rude…_ She did not expect the raving marquis when she walked in, and her anger was bubbling under her skin. _Greedy shems, we were pushed from our own lands and you're whining about this slab of frozen tundra?_ She reluctantly complimented Josephine in how she handled the man after he left, "I don't see why we have to cater to shems like him though. Who cares what they think?"

Josephine smiled as she sat at her desk, "Nobles have a lot of say and pull, though his claim means nothing, his word can mean a lot when he goes back home. It's my job to ensure the Inquisition is represented well." She chuckled lowly when the dalish mage grumbled and scratched her head, "It's okay, Herald. That's why I have this job."

"I'm not the Herald," Lavellan stated adamantly and crossed her arms, "I believe in my own gods." She wavered when she saw a look of hurt across the Ambassador's face and sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck, "I don't… Get the ways of you shems but I wanted to say ir abelas for earlier. When you had greeted me in my dialect, I was… Less than kind."

"Pardon me Lady Lavellan, but what does ir abelas mean?"

"Ah, I'm sorry."

"Nothing to apologize fo-"

"No I mean it means I'm sorry," the circular conversation was starting to make Ellana's head ache a little and the bitterness was beginning to settle in, before the Ambassador could say anything else the dalish mage bowed and hastily bolted out of the room. _That shem is actually nice,_ Lavellan chastised herself, _I need to set aside my anger…_ She sighed and untied the braids in her hair then furiously shook her head, _when you told me those words Samahl, did you know this would happen?_ As she wandered around Haven, she felt her spirits dip every time her stray thoughts would make their way back to her clan. It didn't help at all that the elves she did attempt to converse with were frightened of her and would respond awkwardly before running away.

 _These elvhen'alas are infuriating to deal with,_ Ellana raked her hand through her long hair to tease out the knots then pulled it into an intricate braided bun. _The shemlens are infuriating to deal with,_ she made it back to her quarters and frustratedly worked on the buckles and clasps of her new armor. _The durgen'len are infuriating to deal with,_ she groaned exasperatedly when one of the buckles got stuck, _stupid shemlen can't even craft something so simple!_ She huffed and roughly tugged on the buckle before giving up, _I don't want to be a leader, I don't want them to depend on me._ Nothing could sooth the utter embarrassment she felt when the Seeker had pointed out the skewed clasp and nonchalantly fixed it with ease.

"M-ma serannas..." Lavellan quietly squeaked, and swiftly mounted her steed without another word. Solas chuckled and Varric merely shrugged as Cassandra looked at them, confused at the dalish mage's odd behavior. _I guess not everybody is bad…_ Little did Lavellan know she was about to meet the most infuriating elf that would challenge her sanity every single day, and change her life forever.

* * *

The song Ellana sings is now regarded as the elvhen eulogy of the dead since uthenara is no longer possible. Here is the translation:

Elder your time has come  
Now I am filled with sorrow  
Weary eyes need resting  
Heart has become grey and slow  
In waking sleep is freedom

We sing, rejoice  
We tell the tale  
We laugh and cry  
We love one more day


	3. Curious Beginnings

**Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!**

 **AN** **:** By no means am I character bashing, so I hope you don't take offense with Sera's dislike of elfy elves and insistence of Ellana not being her type. These two big kids are still maturing :)

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _Seth'lin:_ thin blood

 _Shemlen:_ Quick children

 _Ma halani:_ Help me

 _Ir abelas:_ I'm sorry

 _Garas quenathra_ : Why have you come?

 _Ma serannas:_ Thank you

* * *

 **Curious Beginnings**

* * *

"Aaaaaand you're an elf. Well, hope you're not too elfy."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Lavellan crossed her arms as her coal eyes narrowed at the elf standing before her. The entire trip had been exhausting and accomplished nothing, she had been placed on a pedestal she sorely wished to burn to ashes then sent on a wild goose chase collecting red napkins and socks. Fortunately for the city elf standing in front of Ellana was lucky she happened to appeal to the dalish mage's favorite color, otherwise she would have never agreed to this meeting. Unfortunately for Ellana, her frustration was rapidly mounting because she now regretted agreeing to such a meeting.

"Don't matter, important thing: you glow? You're the Herald?"

Lavellan's eyebrow rose, her nerves tinged at the city elf's ignorance, "I'm no Herald, though still named as such against my will. Now what do you want, or did you make me run around collecting things as a joke?" Her stomach lurched at the city elf's mischievous grin, _Creators. So this_ _is_ _a joke._ She sighed and turned on her heel, motioning to her disgruntled companions to move out.

"Ya didn't even listen to me, figures. Too high and mighty huh?"

That did it.

"It's not about high and mighty," Ellana seethed as she whirled around and marched to the grinning city elf, "It's about wasting my time with trivial tasks when there is a-"

"Right shite, sore topic I get it. Sorry, yeah? Now get behind cover, my friends tipped me the guard's equipment shed," Sera waggled her eyebrows at the annoyed mage, "They've got no breeches." Lavellan's head snapped to the direction of the slamming sounds and guards yelling as they poured down the steps, there was inner turmoil within her at the sight.

They really had no breeches.

"Why didn't you take their weapons?!" Ellana shrieked and hastily cast a rune at the top of the steps, sprinting and sliding behind small crates. Part of her wanted to roast this elf, and the other part…

"Because no breeches!" Sera cackled and let loose an arrow, "Right in the dangle-bags!" Well, the other part just wanted to laugh along. The dalish mage squashed the childish notions before it began to flourish and waited till one of the guards stepped on the rune, in one swift motion she outstretched her hand and clenched it in a tight fist, detonating the trap. The man howled in agony as he rolled on the ground, hands swatting to try and extinguish the flames that ate away his underclothes. One look at Lavellan was all it took for the guard to scramble to his feet and run away as the dalish mage grinned evilly and aimed her next fireball.

Right in the ass.

 _Bet Samahl would laugh and be proud of me for that!_ She couldn't help but chuckle quietly when she heard Sera laugh and whistle, "Literally set his arse on fire! Bloody brilliant!" After the battle the city elf approached Lavellan casually, "How'd ya do that? Chuck a grenade or somethin'?"

"No, magic." Ellana tilted her head in confusion when the city elf visibly paled and took a step back, "In any case, I appreciate the hel-" Her eye twitched when Sera nonchalantly ignored her and interjected.

"I'd like to join whatever this is, Inquisition."

"No. If you wanted to join you could have asked and not send me into a trap."

"What trap? You knocked, he crapped."

The two spent half an hour bickering until Varric sighed, "Maker, it's like you two are married. Listen Thorns, she's just gonna follow us anyways. Can we go to an inn and you two can duke it out there?"

"Eww, what?" Sera grimaced, "She definitely ain't my type."

Lavellan was completely confused, her mind was still trying to figure out the dwarf's nickname until she remembered about her vallaslin. It had become second nature to her, and it dawned on her that that's most likely why most of the elves back at Haven had been so frightful with her. She hummed and folded her hands behind her head as she mindlessly wandered down the alleyway, too absorbed by her thoughts to hear the others calling out to her. _Are they afraid of Elgar'nan, or just the vallaslin?_ Her curiosity got the better of her and she muttered out loud, "Hey, does my face really look that scary?"

"Yes, what kinda question's that ya daft tit? Half yer face looks like it's been chewed, shame that. Might've looked pretty without the tat."

Ellana angrily glared behind at the rude elf, _no I can't be angry with her. She's clearly hasn't been taught our ways, stupid shemlen. I'll change that though, I'll guide her._ She shrugged, "You have no right to judge me."

"And what do you do? Tch, shoulda known you're an elfy elf, thinkin' yer high an' mighty."

"What?" Lavellan turned around, _the nerve of this seth'lin! She asks to join us yet insults me without even knowing who I am!_ Her fists clenched tightly and she released a stuttering sigh as she struggled to gain control of her temper, _the Keeper warned me of elves like this. It's my duty to teach her._ A heavy hand fell upon her shoulder and she looked at the worried woman beside her, the question clear in her eyes. "Ir abelas, Seeker, ah-" she corrected herself when she noticed the confusion, "I'm sorry, I meant. Let's go to an inn like Varric suggested, Sera and I will talk more there."

"Nothin' to talk 'bout," Sera crossed her arms, "Either in or out, don't jerk me around Lady Herald."

"I need time to think about it. Surely you can wait ten minutes? We've had a long day and-" Ellana's patience was slowly gnawed away every time the city elf would scoff or mockingly yawn to cut her off. _Creators, she's worse than the children. Even they know better than to disrespect like this!_ She shook her head and sighed as she carried on in the direction of the inn, _who am I to talk? I used to be just like her…_ Hesitantly pulling out her coin purse she grumbles and starts to walk to the innkeeper before Varric grabbed her wrist.

"Lemme handle this one Thorns, that person will just rip you off until you give up your clothes to pay for us."

"Huh? Why?"

Varric chuckled as he walked past her, "I'll explain it another time." The dalish mage's head tilted curiously as her ears twitched, listening intently as Varric negotiated with the innkeeper. Remarkably 5 sovereigns later, the group soon found themselves walking down the hallway each with their own key to their very own room. The dwarf smirked smugly as Lavellan couldn't help but utter a compliment in awe. He just managed to save them 10 sovereigns and all cramped in one room, all because of one signature in a book.

* * *

Ellana's eyebrows knitted together in concentration as she tried to figure out the soft material she was currently obsessively rubbing her palms over. "What do I do with this…?" She hopelessly caved into the frustration and huffed as she threw the soft-whatever-it-is on the bed then paced the room, curiosity absorbed her mind at the new environment. She inspected the walls and smoothed her palms along the cold stone, fingers tracing the bumps and grooves as she walked around experimenting and touching objects she's never seen or read about before. Opening one of the drawers, she took out another hard-whatever-it-is and looked at it skeptically, "Is this a club…?" A muffled knock drew her attention to the door, "Who is it?" Series of clanks and scratches alarmed her but before she could react, the door swung open and in strolled the city elf.

"Take too long to bloody answer," Sera's eyes fell upon the object in Lavellan's hands and burst into laughter, "Now I know why!" She slammed the door shut and waggled her eyebrows playfully, "Sorry for interrupting play time, Lady Herald."

"What? I'm not playing, and I already said I'm not the Herald of anything," Ellana's anger bubbled underneath her skin as the city elf laughed again, "Stop mocking me!" She threw the hard-whatever-it-is at Sera's face but the archer deftly caught it before dropping it in disgust.

"Ew! That shite's sticky! Did you just use it?!"

"I don't know what that even is," the dalish mage looked inside the drawer, "I found them in here, there's two more. I don't understand what most of these things are for, shemlen are-"

"Pfft..." Sera clamped her hand over her mouth and draped her free arm around her ribs, she muffled in her palm, "No way..." The archer struggled not to laugh at Ellana's predicament, "I-it's a..." She chortled at the mage's curious and lost expression, "D-d..."

"Even if you tell me what it is, I still won't know what it's used for. Judging by the shape and weight it's a small club though, right? Are the shemlen usually scared of ambushes?" Lavellan defensively crosses her arms and frowns as the city elf completely loses it, falling on the ground and erupting in carefree laughter. She scratches her head and whines quietly, "Can't help it… I never actually studied shems..." Curiosity swept her once again as she reached for another new object that was curved, but was stopped when Sera scrambled and grabbed her wrist, eyes dancing with mirth.

"Really are clueless ain'tcha? Ya really don't wanna touch that, trust me." The dalish mage glances at the object then back at Sera and nods, _I guess she isn't all that bad then… Right?_ "Anyways," Sera releases her wrist and casually sits at the edge of her bed, "After seeing that, I won't take no for an answer. You gotta lemme join now."

"But I-" Ellana sighed and unties the braids in her hair, weaving her hand through and shaking it to loosen it completely, "Don't even know who Red Jennies are. Or you, for that matter," she glared at the archer, "You sent me into a trap, insult me, clearly have a problem with my magic, and yet still want to join. Why?"

"Still on about that? I'm sorry, yeah? Can I join now?"

"You still haven't answered why." _And you hardly seem sorry._

Sera grumbled, "You always need people explaining why free help is good? Inquisition's the only bloody thing tryin' to do anything with the big arsehole in the sky, and I want to get everything back to normal. Like you?" She grins when the dalish mage nods, "Red Jennies stick it to nobles we hate, the big poncyfarts. Yer breeches'll be safe with me 'round." The archer never expected how wrong she would be as she uttered those words.

 _We do need all the help we can get anyways,_ Lavellan glanced at the grinning city elf, _why am I giving her such a hard time anyways?_ "Alright Sera. I can use you and your 'friends'." She smiled sadly as the archer let out a whooping cheer and fist pumped in the air, _ah right…_ She walked to the window and gazed distantly out in the night sky, _she reminds me too much of Samahl._ Her stomach twisted and her heart ached at that thought, a brief flashback of the pond played before her eyes. She didn't notice the hand squeezing her shoulder, the bitterness and anger overwhelmed her mind. Her teeth grind and screeched as her jaw tensed painfully, she was snapped out of the haunting memory when Sera roughly shook her.

"Oi! Quit bein' creepy, damn," the archer mumbled lowly, "You elfy elves ar-"

"Stop," Ellana rubbed her forehead and groaned, "Enough with slandering my people for no reason. I get it, you were born in the city, shems raised you, and now-" she clenched her teeth as the human man's words echoed in her head, "Now you think we kidnap babies and eat people. So tell me," both elves glared at each other, "Do I look like I do any of that?" Her irritation spiked at the smirk.

"Yep."

"You must be joking..." The dalish mage was fed up, she brushed past Sera and struggled with her temper, "I can't do this anymore," _Samahl ma halani,_ "I just can't..." _How am I to lead when everyone fears me? Even our own people?_ "Get out, please."

"Ease up. Was jokin', don't think you eat babies," mischief danced in the archer's eyes, "Gotta raise yer own somehow yeah?"

Lavellan turned around, "This isn't funny, the fate of-"

"Exactly why ya need to have some fun before you blow yerself up," Sera shrugged and strolled back to the bed, "Always diggin' up the past to wear, always serious. No room for fun," she looked around the room before an idea hit her and she smirked at the dalish mage, "Ever drink before?"

"What kind of question is that?" Ellana had no energy or patience to pick a fight with the ignorant elf, _that's no way to teach and guide her,_ "Everybody drinks."

"Mead?"

"What's that?"

"Knew it." Sera stood and walked to the door, "Be right back, know just the thing that'll melt yer tension and have a bit o' fun!"

Before Lavellan could object the archer was gone, she sighed and wove her hand into her hair then pushed the strands apart, wincing when her fingers caught stubborn knots. The inner turmoil rose once more, the losing part chastised her winning part that cheered for fun and less tension. _Is it wrong of me to find moments of peace wherever I can?_ She shrugged, _out of my hands now, I can't be rude and deny whatever she's bringing now. And I'll admit I_ _am_ _curious._ The dalish mage irritatedly worked on the clasps and let out a sigh of relief as the burden of the armor fell off piece by piece. Her head snapped to the door when Sera noisily entered, a small bottle tucked under her arm, "What's that?"

"Couldn't get no mead, stupid poncyfarts. Stole some wine instead though, hey can I sta..." Sera trailed off as she turned around, eyes widened at the dalish mage's current state of undress, "You always strip naked or somethin' Lady Her-"

"Ellana. Please stop calling me Herald," Lavellan looked down and shrugged, "I don't like the armor. Too heavy," she walked towards the archer who stiffened immediately, "Been stuck in it for days." She reached down and took the bottle of wine, curiously inspecting it, "Why is it red?" Sera swapped the bottle in her hand with a glass and popped the cork, pouring it into the glass, "And why do we only have one glass?"

"Red coz blooooood," Sera grinned and took a swig from the bottle, "Your first time drinking yeah? Glass for you, bottle for me! Bet you'll get smashed from that glass."

"I don't underst-"

"Just try it already! Ya always ask so many questions?"

Ellana grumbled a quiet 'yes' and peered into the glass, "It's not really blood is it?" The archer huffed and pushed the glass against her lips then tilted it so Ellana had no choice but to part lips and drink it. She coughed and wiped her stained lips with her forearm, "It's sweet and it tingles, why?" Sera rolled her eyes and forced the glass against her lips again, grinning when the mage backed away… But with the glass. "I can drink by myself!"

"No ya can't, all ya do is blah, blah, blah," Sera lifted the bottle and clinked her glass, "To us! For trying to stitch the arsehole in the sky!" She chuckled when she watched the dalish mage from the corner of her eye mimic her, any time she drank, Lavellan would too albeit only small sips. Half a bottle later the buzz finally scratched the edges of her consciousness, she set it down on the table and laughed at the dalish mage sprawled out on the bed, hiccuping. "Told ya ye'd get smashed from the glass."

"Why my head spinnin'..." Ellana mumbled.

"Still asking questions?"

"D-don't get it..." Ellana clutched the blanket in one hand then rolled until she was buried in a cocoon, her voice muffled under the sheets, "So hot..."

"Well yeah," Sera's eyes danced with amusement, "Yer bloody wrapped up like a baby. Weirdo."

"Not a baby!"

"Yeah, yeah," the archer walks over and leans on the edge of the bed, lowering herself with her arms and peers into the small hole, "Havin' fun there Ena?" She reels back when suddenly the dalish mage rolls the other way and accidentally falls off the bed, laughing as the blankets fall on top of Lavellan who continued to wrestle with the sheets. "Coz looks like you are ta me."

"Ena!"

"Huh?"

Ellana got frustrated and instead ripped the sheets, she strode towards the confused archer and placed her hands on her shoulders then shook, "Ena. Why did you call me Ena? Why that name?"

"Calm down! You don't-"

"Why?!"

"Let go! Yer really friggin' weird now," Sera swatted the mage's hands away and brushed past her for the bottle, "Now I know not to give alcohol to ya, yeesh." She stopped when she smelled salt in the air and turned around, "Oh shit..." She raked her hand through her hair and sighed, "Why the heck are ya cryin' ya daft tit? Coulda just said you don't like the name." The longer her eyes wandered along the mage's body, the less seriously she could take her, if she took her seriously at all.

"P-please," Ellana's voice cracked and she clenched her fists, throat parched and hoarse from the conflicting emotions inside her, "Just tell me why."

"Yer not gonna like it, don't wanna burn or be offered up in some ritual," Sera scoffed and took a swig from the bottle, she glanced at the oddly-quiet mage and mumbled quietly, "No rise this time?" She walked over and collected the abused blankets on the ground then wrapped what she could around Ellana, "Maybe yer alright bein' naked, but it's drivin' me a little crazy. Weird since yer not my type," she clenched her teeth, "You those cryin' drunks, Herald?" Still no rise. Sera grumbled, the party went from fun to a complete bore and the buzz was settling in nicely too. "Look," she goes back for the bottle and downs the rest of the bittersweet liquid in one go, lips smacking loudly and grinning at the warm buzz. "Dunno what to tell ya, don't think too much on it yeah? Ellana's too big and fancy, Ella don't suitcha, Ana sounds weird when I'm going ahhhhwww-nnnnaaaaa, Ay-na is fun to say, so, Ena. Different too, betcha don't get called that too-"

"My older brother," Lavellan hugged the blankets tighter around her and solemnly walked to the bed, "That was his name for me."

Sera grinned, "Smart guy, chose the same reasons I bet yeah?" The urge to shake the dalish mage to snap out of this grim mood surfaced in the archer's mind, she set the empty bottle down and went to do just that. When she placed her hands on Ellana's shoulders, she froze.

They were shaking.

"What's wrong now?" Sera knelt down and regretted it immediately, the smell of salt enveloped her senses. Suddenly she found herself in a tight, searing hug as the dalish mage let loose and wailed, Sera awkwardly kept her arms apart and grumbled, "Fuck, you are a cryin' drunk..." She tapped the mage's shoulders, "Oi let go, yer naked and gon' roast me and I'll be nothin' but smoked meat!" That done it, the mage hugged tighter and cried louder. "The fuck is wrong with ya, ye daft tit?!" Sera sighed and wracked her brain for ways to escape, anytime she tried to slither out the tight grip the mage squeezed even more. "B-bloody strong… Ena just-" _Wait._

 _Was his name for her?_

"Aw shite," Sera peered down at the dalish elf currently giving her shoulder a shower, she awkwardly wrapped her arms around the mage, "C'mon luv stand up, need to get yer mind off it yeah? Only one fix for shite like this, drown yer sorrows." When the mage reluctantly nodded and stood with Sera's help, she groaned, "Got anything to wear besides armor? Can't go 'round arse naked."

"W- _hic_ -hy not?"

"Uhh..." Sera's eyes widened as she parted and stared at the mage incredulously, "Oh yer serious? Yeesh do ya dance 'round the woods naked or something?"

"Yes, I li- _hic_ -ke to be in tune wit-"

"Right forgot, elfy elf. Anyways it's bad in the city, actually everywhere else. Yer just askin' for trouble then," Sera scratched her head and looked around, "Just… Stay here. I'll go steal another bottle." Lavellan nodded and stumbled on her own feet, falling back on the bed and sniffling. She hugged the blankets tighter and decidedly retracted her impression of Sera.

 _She_ _is_ _nice in her own way… Good heart. And fun. Something I haven't had in a long time..._

With that, the dalish mage fell into a peaceful slumber with a sloppy grin on her face.

* * *

Sera impatiently knocked on the door, "Open up already!" She glanced down the hall where the barkeeper had been shouting at the others trying to figure out where the missing bottle went. Footsteps thundered up the stairs and the archer knocked again, "Shite why did I leave my picks in there..." As soon as the door opened she rushed through and slammed it shut, when she turned around she got confused.

"For me, Buttercup?"

Aw crap.

"No," Sera grumbled and lifted the bottle away from the dwarf's grabby hands, "S'for Ena."

"Who?"

"Y'know, the Herald?"

"Oooh, Thorns," Varric looked around in his room as a joke, "Well she ain't in here."

"No shit I can see that cap'n obvious," Sera leaned against the door and sighed, "Almost got caught nabbin' this one. Gotta wait in here 'til they calm their tits down."

"Is there a reason why you're stealing wine and-"

"Look, how much d'ya know 'bout her?"

"About Thorns?" Varric shrugged and plopped back to his desk where his paper and pen await him, "Not much at all, to be honest. Though let me tell you, she's scary when we find innocents caught up in the war, should have seen her in the Hinterlands. Pissed off real good and strolled in to the main camps without a care, setting everything ablaze," the dwarf sighed and smiled sadly, "Personally I don't think she's holding up too well."

"She ain't."

"That why you got the wine?"

"Yep. Oh and she's a crying drunk, just so y'know in the future."

"This mean she's letting you join, or are you bribing her?"

Sera grinned as she turned the door handle, "Bribin' her."

"Always works like a charm," Varric chuckled and waved, "See you later. Keep it down though Buttercup I want to sleep."

"No promises," Sera poked her head out into the hallway, when she saw it was clear she booked it for Lavellan's room and knocked on the door impatiently.

No answer.

"Open up Ena c'mon..." The shouting still went on and neared once more, Sera groaned and slammed her forehead against the door, "Ena open up!" Creaks sounded behind her and when she looked, she met a glaring pair of tired eyes. _Awwwww double crap!_ "Yo Lady..." _Shite, dunno her name._

"Would a quiet night be too much to ask for?" Cassandra grumbled, "What are you even doing here?"

Before Sera could answer, Lavellan sleepily opened the door and mumbled, "Oh, Sera. Welcome back..." Cassandra's eyes widened and Sera hastily pushed the naked mage back inside.

"Hey yeah! Thanks Ena! C'mon in ya go quickly now," when Sera turned around to shut the door, she grinned at the Seeker's shocked look and jaw drop. "S'all good, don't ye worry. I ain't doin' nothin' to yer precious Herald," she glanced off to the side at the mage and grumbled as she shut the door, "How many times I gotta say she ain't my type?"

"My head hurts Sera," Ellana whined.

"Are all elfy elves big babies?"

Lavellan glared at the archer, "What is your problem with my people? I've done nothing to you yet you insult me over and over again." She angrily approached the smirking city elf, "I don't get why you'd join the Inquisition if you've got an issue with me."

"Ain't got an issue with you," Sera brushed past her and retrieved the wine glass from before, "Yer different. Still elfy but..." She popped the cork and poured into the glass, "Something 'bout ya says yer okay."

"And that something is?"

Sera grinned and handed her the glass, "You like to have fun."

Ellana hesitantly swirled the red liquid in her glass and mumbled, "I shouldn't..."

"But ya do."

"But I shouldn't!"

"Says who? I think ya should. Need to, actually."

"That's irresponsible!"

"Shut up and drink yeah? Know ya want to," Sera sighed frustratedly, "So damn stubborn."

"Like you," Ellana smiled warmly, "Still putting up with me after all."

"Should pay me extra too," Sera tilted the bottle and downed a quarter of the contents, watching the mage as she did. "Ahh," she wiped her lips with her now-stained forearm, "Got a pretty smile, know that?" _Among other things…_ The archer's eyes trailed along Lavellan's body, _if all the dalish quit diggin' up the past to wear it and ran 'round naked, they wouldn't be so bad._

"Do now," Ellana hiccuped and grinned sloppily, "Tell me about yourself, Sera."

"Oh yeah, interested are you?" _She's wasted already,_ Sera chuckled and casually plopped on the edge of the bed, patting the spot beside her. Pure amusement danced across her features as she watched the mage struggle to walk normally towards the bed and muttered weird phrases, _bet she's cursing, not the goodie she plays._ Finally, after what seemed like hours, Lavellan had taken residence in the spot Sera patted. "Sorry luv but ya ain't my type."

"You keep saying that," Ellana bumped shoulders and then leaned lightly on the archer, "I don't understand what that means though. Type for what?"

"You serious?" Sera glanced at the dalish elf, _such a lightweight, real pretty too… Wait,_ she shakes her head, "Y'know, dating? Gettin' to 'know each other'," she waggled her eyebrows playfully, but deflated when the mage stared at her with a lost look on her face. "Ugh never mind ya clueless twat," _least I know won't happen if she's got no idea what I'm even talking 'bout._ "Want another round?" She lifted the bottle and smirked when the mage gazed at it, _she's already gone, this is too funny. Nice to know she ain't totally uptight like the rest of the elfy elves._ Sera inched the bottle away when Ellana attempted to grasp it, changing the distance ever so slightly and fighting to keep the laughter in her chest. The way the mage's eyebrows knitted in concentration and how her tongue poked out from the corner of her lips was just too much, as soon as she huffed in frustration, Sera erupted in a fit of laughter.

"Drunk Herald, priceless," her eyes shined with mischief when Lavellan glared at her with annoyance etched on her features, "You sure are somethin' else, Ena." _Her eyes look less creepy up close,_ she poured the remaining amount of wine in the mage's glass and set the empty bottle down beside the night-table, _thought they were completely black._ She stole a peek at the mage's hair, _thought it was_ _just_ _orange but now it's different too,_ _other colors._

"What're yo- _hic_ -staring foooor?"

"Open yer eyes real wide for a sec," Sera snickered when the mage's head tilted back and eyes as wide as saucers, "'Kay that's creepy and too wide, smaller." She gazed at the cloudy coal orbs and smirked at the obvious curiosity swirling in them, "Thought they were creepy, yer eyes. They looked pitch black before but they're kinda like… Smokey. With itty bits of orange." _I guess it isn't_ _so_ _bad… She_ _is_ _pretty._

"S'mahl used to say ashes," Ellana hiccuped, "And my hair danced like fire, 'f I cast fire anyway. Orange and yellow and red," she grinned proudly, "Used to say he was jealous." Sera chose to remain silent as the mage went on and on, _I'm guessin' this Small guy was her brother? How can she still look so happy?_ The archer stared in confusion, _she's sad, but she's still laughin'?_ A pang of sadness gripped her heart when Lady Emmald and Sarah flashed in her mind, she shook her head, _done thinking 'bout those pissants._ When she turned her head, she hadn't expected the mage to be leaning so close to her and accidentally kissed the top of her head. Lavellan immediately tensed and fell quiet, _oh shit._

"Uhh sorry, was an accident. Didn't think you were-"

"Samahl used to do that too..." Ellana gazed confusedly at Sera, then without warning she dropped the glass on the floor and tackled the archer on the bed.

"O-oi! The fuck are you doin' ya daft tit? Get off! Said it was an accident!"

"I don't get it..." Lavellan's eyes watered and Sera groaned, _I am never givin' this mopey drunk alcohol ever again. Too fuckin' sensitive._ "Garas quenathra?"

"What?" The archer had difficulty breathing at the rising temperature in the room, "Calm down ya daft tit, or you'll roast me alive!" _Fuck sake, daft to join this frigging 'Inquisition'._

"Ir abelas," Ellana leaned back, "I don't know what came over me..."

"Usually," Sera sat up and pushed the mage further back, "I ain't got no problem with naked pretty women on top of me. You? You need to stay the fuck off if you don't want an arrow up yer arse." Her patience had whittled down to nothing and she was now fed up with the mage, _mopey, moody, the fuck is wrong with her, seriously?_ She slid off the edge of the bed, "Thanks for the fun when it actually  was fun. I'm goin' back to my room, ain't no wa-" she was stopped when Lavellan caught her wrist.

"Stay here, please?"

"No. Now let go." _How is_ _she_ _the fuckin' Herald? This has got to be some sorta joke._ Sera faltered at the puppy-eyed look the mage gave her, "Ain't fallin' fer it," her determination slowly chipped away with each agonizingly long minute. She caved in and sighed, "Alright, but I wanna sleep. Shove over, and no grabby hands or cryin' either." _Sick of this crybaby tit hugging or tackling me outta no where._

"Ma serannas!" _The frig's that mean? Fuck it my head hurts._

"Yeah, yeah, whatever..." _But at least s_ _he ain't so bad._ Her heart constricted as Ellana's face immediately changed to that of pure happiness and she quickly shuffled to the edge of the bed, "Yer so bloody weird..." Sera grinned when she yanked the blankets out of the mage's hands, "You can set yerself on fire to stay warm. I'm keepin' these too, friggin' cold in here when yer not tryin' to burn me up."

Later that night when Sera awoke to warm arms clutching her waist and hot puffs of air hitting the back of her neck, she groaned and squashed the feelings swirling in the pits of her stomach. _She's a fuckin' elfy elf for cryin' out loud!_ She turned her head as far as she could and glanced at the peaceful face then sighed, _I guess it ain't so bad… She's good for keepin' me warm._ She nodded affirmatively to herself, _yeah, this don't mean nothin'. No way I'd ever like this weird tit, she definitely ain't my type no matter what she says or does._ Sera fell back asleep, dreams filled with campfires that promised warmth and safety.


	4. Quarrels and Concords

**Hope you enjoy,** **cheers mates!**

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _Ir Abelas:_ I'm sorry

 _Ar dirthan'as ir elgara, ma'sula e'var vhenan:_ (to be honest I don't know exactly what it means, again it's all interpretation and what I think it may be. By no means am I saying this  is what it exactly means) "I speak with soul and spirit, your song comes from the heart."

 _Fenedhis Lasa:_ _Fenedhis_ \- Wolf dick, _Lasa_ \- grant/allow. _Possible Fenedhis Lasa interpretations_ \- "go suck wolf dick" or "get fucked by wolf dick" (my oh my Solas what a potty mouth you have :O)

 _Emma shem'nan:_ My revenge is swift

 _Ar tu na'din:_ I will kill you

 _Ma halam:_ You are finished

* * *

 **Quarrels and Concords**

* * *

"Are you serious?" Sera didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "You don't know swear words?"

"Well, when I tried one of your favorite words and said fuck, the Ambassador looked upset and told me I probably shouldn't repeat it because it's a curse. I know cursing in our language but..."

"W-wait," the archer chewed on her lip, "You said fuck?" _And with a straight face, priceless._ She grinned and proudly smacked across the dalish mage's shoulder, "Knew you weren't like them other elfy elves! Something to celebrate I say," Sera grinned and motioned at Flissa, making a peace sign to signify two rounds. "Why'd ya say it anyways?"

"Well," Ellana nervously glanced around, "People don't seem afraid of you when you talk to them. Some of them laugh, some of them yell, but at least they don't run away..." She mumbled then scratched her head, "I thought maybe it was the way you talk?"

"You really dunno why people are scared of ya?" Sera sighed as the dalish mage shook her head, she sincerely was clueless. "Look," the archer nodded appreciatively at Flissa when she brought the mead and tipped her a couple silver coins, "It's cause for one, people believe yer the Herald. Second, you're a dalish elfy elf with a tat that covers half her bleeding face and got vines to ruin the rest of the pretty half. Plus yer a mage and with all the creepy stories people hear, it's scary to get to know ya."

Ellana pouted and crossed her arms, "I'm scary?"

"Nah, you aren't but that's cause I know more now. Sure were pretty creepy and weird at first though."

"How can I not be scary then?"

"Be buddies with everyone, I dunno. Hate to break it to ya but can't make everyone like ya, and if yer gonna force yerself to be who you're not then it ain't worth it. Live for yourself yeah? Just be you."

"Why didn't I ever think of that," Ellana mumbled, "So then that's what you do? You're just you then, right?"

"Uh, yeah?" _She's always serious, serious about being serious too. No way she's secretly not serious._

"Buddy…" Lavellan trailed off, "What's buddy mean?"

"Friend," Sera droned absentmindedly as the mage hailed her with questions, _here we go again. Shite,_ she downed half her mug and then snapped irritatedly at the curious elf, "When I said just be you I didn't mean ask me questions till you make my head explode!"

"Explode!" Ellana laughed without restraint, "Fire's my favorite thing!"

"Nooooo, really?" Sera drawled sarcastically, "I didn't know." She rested her chin on her palm and watched as the mage laughed again, her eyebrows rose in interest, _she knows how to laugh?_ She smiled hidden behind her palm when she noticed several of the patrons that also glanced over at their table, _bet they never saw her havin' fun. Nobody does 'round here, always boring or sad._ She didn't hear Lavellan's next question and hummed "mm-hm" as she drank the rest of her mead.

"Really?"

"Huh? Yeah sure," Sera's eyes went back to the excited dalish woman, _never expected her to be the type who'd like fun either._ She shrugs and continues, "You sure look happy." _Hope I didn't just say yes to datin' her or whatever. Friggin' worst nightmare that is._ Lavellan's cheeky smile spread and she leaned forward, her coal eyes shining bright with joy. _Got bits of orange hidden in there too?_ Sera rushes for the mage's mug when she reaches for it, "Shite almost forgot."

"Huh?"

"You can't drink, don't drink ever again ye cryin' drunk!"

"I already did and feel fine though. A little weird but still fine."

Now it was Sera's turn, "Huh?" She peered into the mug, Ellana was right she had already drank half. "Oh..." She glanced at the swaying mage and dilated eyes, if such a thing was easy to tell with coal eyes anyways.

Fuck.

"C'mon up ya go," the archer quickly pulls on Lavellan's arm, "Lets get ya outta here before ye cause a scene and scare even the mopey shites off." _Why do I even care? She's got to take care of herself,_ she hooks the mage's arm around her shoulders and cusses when the tanned face slowly turns pale, _everyone on the street looks out for themselves._ "Need ta pay me extra for babysittin' you ye daft tit. Ain't doin' this for free yeah?"

"But you said- _hup_ -" Ellana clamped her hand over her mouth and focused on her breathing, "That we're best buddies remember? I'm your favorite!"

"What?! When did I say that?!" _Yeah it's not so bad._

"Back there in the tavern," the mage grinned childishly and then focused on taking deep breaths to soothe the nausea whirling around in her stomach. "So that's why you said not to drink that..."

 _It's worse._ "Now for this reason too! Ugh." _Ain't the worst, but still a nightmare._ Despite her complaining, Sera couldn't deny that life has gotten a little more interesting. Good pay, good drinks, a place to stay, always something to put arrows in and she didn't need to break in anywhere to catch some shut-eye. She glances at the mage, _don't get ya, but I guess yer still alright, for now._ "Where the hell do ya sleep?"

"In the cabin across here, err, down there now," Ellana pointed to the small cabin where she first awoke in Haven and got confused when the archer scoffed.

"Surprised you ain't strollin' round this frozen waste butt-naked."

"I did, but the Ambassador taught me shemlen don't understand those sorts of things, may get the wrong idea. Never explained why though."

 _Figures she actually did do it though,_ Sera smirked and muttered sarcastically, "Yeah, wrong idea alright… Is it just you with the stripping habit?"

"Humm I don't recall my clan doing as such unless we were bathing in the lakes, sometimes the children did though. Keeper Istimaethoriel never approved but also never explained why." The archer mentally face palmed, _nobody told this tit and now she's gonna streak while she's fucking fighting I bet._ She kicked open the door to the cabin and hauled the sick mage over to the bed in the corner, dropping her none-too-gently and turning to head back out. "You're not going to stay?"

"Not if there's a chance you'll puke or cry, nope."

"And if I promise I won't?"

Sera sighed irritatedly, _what is with her? So damn clingy, always wants me 'round,_ "Look, just want to clear this up we're friends, just and only friends, okay Ena?" _Barely like you enough just for that. All elfy elves this damn annoying?_

"I already knew that," the dalish mage rolled on her stomach and mumbled into the pillow, "You're my only friend here..." _Cute. Wait no not cute!_ The archer lets out a stuttering breath and caves in.

"Fine I'll stay," Sera grabs one of the nearby chairs, whirling it around so the back faced the dalish mage and rests her arms on top of the spine as she sits. Her chin sits uncomfortably on her forearm and she rolls her eyes when Ellana turns to face her, _here we go again._ Large puppy eyes blinked at her and she groaned, "What do you need now ya daft tit?"

"Teach me how to swear."

"Easy, there's tons just take yer pick. Piss, shit, fuck, bitch, ass, asshole, bitchballs, shite, fucker, fucking, fuck-sake, and uhhh bastard. Last one's got no bite though. You really wanna piss off the nobles, 'fuck' goes a long way. Just gotta be creative." She stared incredulously back at the dalish mage who seemed to gaze in awe, _she seriously didn't know?_

"What one's your favorite?"

"Fuck."

"Why?"

"Hell if I know," _right, those answers don't do shit to make her back off._ She shrugged at the curious gaze, "It's just my favorite, leave it at that."

"What's your most favorite thing to do in the world?"

"Fu-" Sera stopped herself, _then I'll needa explain it to her… Shit._ "Fucking demons with arrows."

"Fucking demons? Does that mean killing them then?"

"Wha-yeah it does," the archer groaned, _why am I putting up with her? Don't matter how pretty she is, she's friggin' annoying!_

"So to fuck means to kill?"

"Means lots of things depending how ya use it, look that's something I ain't gonna get in with ya coz you'll never get it. Something like this… Gotta live it to learn it."

"What kind of life did y-"

"Don't go there, root in that part of me and yer riskin' an arrow in yer arse. Past is past, yeah? Drop it and move on. Like you dalish, what's the point of diggin' up history to wear it?"

"There's a lot of lessons and traditions to be learned from our ancestors," Ellana winced at the heated glare from the archer, "And fun stories. Well bad stories too, but that's how we learn right?"

"Through stories? Gimme a break luv," Sera waved her hand dismissively, "Yer sayin' people'll learn important shite just by readin' a fuckin' fairy tale? You gotta live it to learn it, the hell is touchin' a dusty object that used to belong to some dead dalish tit do?"

"I don't expect you to understand, I'm just explaining how-"

"Well don't. You wanna be friends with me, you better quit yapping 'bout stupid elfy shite." Sera's temper flared at the hurt that flashed in the smoldering coal eyes and seethed, _I'm right, she's wrong!_ "You dunno nothing Ena,  nothing. What the fuck did you learn huh? What 'lessons' and 'traditions'? Know how to dig a hole with yer hands arse-naked? Woop di doo!"

"You don't know me," the dalish mage muttered darkly and slid to the edge of the bed to sit up, head bowed and hair bangs covering her eyes. "I suggest you stop spewing assumptions. All I wanted to do was learn about you and share a little bit about me, but you won't let me do neither. It's either yes or no with you, there's no in between."

"Why the fuck do you wanna learn 'bout me? Coz if yer thinking 'bout converting me into your stupid cult then-"

"Because we're friends! That's what friends do! Family too!" Lavellan shot up from the bed and marched towards the city elf, hunched over and face inches away as the two exchanged heated glares, "Is that so fucking wrong?! I've no interest in teaching you, or converting you! Your life is your own, you've lived your own lessons and I know I cannot undo whatever the shems did to you. It'd be pointless to even try, but that doesn't mean-"

Sera scoffed, "Pointless to try huh? So far gone I'm not good 'nough to be part of yer stupid cult?" The archer cringed when Ellana unexpectedly snapped, blazing fist slamming into the wall beside them. The smoke and dust covered the air as chunks and splinters of the wall crumbled beneath the weight and heat of the tiny hand set ablaze. _Clueless, innocent, but the scariest I've ever seen…_ Sera gawked at the lithe back that quivered, her stomach twisted at the display of magic and it didn't help when she smelled the salt mixed with the dust in the air. Her defensive side refused to budge however, _she got quite a temper huh? Figures._

"I need-" Lavellan inhaled shakily, "I need some fresh air. Make yourself at home here if you wish," she keeps her head bowed as she hastily walks past Sera, lingering at the door silently as if contemplating on something. The mage whispered with remorse heavily lacing her words, "Ir abelas, I did not mean to scare you," and left the cabin. Despite the pent-up anger, the corners of Sera's lips curled into a proud smirk. _She didn't notice she cussed._

* * *

Awkward tension filled the silence in the air as the group traveled along the plains and the only people who 'talked' were the two who constantly bickered throughout the trip. Though Ellana was secretly grateful that Solas was now the source of the archer's frustration, it hurt her to see just how much the city elf hated anything 'elfy'. Eventually, she tuned out the arguments and her restlessness became less evident, she was beginning to regret bringing either elf along with her. "You okay Thorns?" Varric muttered lowly as he caught up beside her, "Look a little down is all." Lavellan smiled reassuringly and nodded to him, _ironic,_ she looked behind her at the bickering elves, _the durgen'len's more pleasant than them._ Her ears twitched when she heard a fraction of their conversation, interest peaked.

"Ar dirthan'as ir elgara, ma'sula e'var vhenan." _Are you joking Solas? In your dreams maybe._

"Ppbbttffhh!" _Of course she disrespects it. What else would she do?_

"Excuse me?"

"Excuse yourself. Whatever you said and what I did, same difference to me." _Sigh. Some song huh._

"I'd hoped, well... Our people can sometimes feel the rhythm of the language despite lacking the vocabulary." _I did mention the in your dreams part right?_

"Uh huh? Know what else is good? Words that mean things. Like these, words." _If only you'd bother to ask and understand..._

"Fenedhis lasa!"

"Pfft," Lavellan snickered quietly but this did not go unnoticed by the two bickering elves, she looked behind at Solas and grinned, "Good one. Too bad she doesn't know what it means." Solas smiles meekly and bows his head guiltily, having been caught up in the moment and forgetting that Ellana can understand what he was saying.

"Ohh the silent moody one has decided to grace us with her voice has she?" Sera mocked and smirked when the dalish mage visibly tensed, "Alright since you think you're so smart, what does it mean?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Ellana retorted and clenched her fists, determined not to let her temper get the best of her so quickly. Varric and Cassandra sighed, diplomacy and peace never existed with this group anymore. "There, up that hill," Lavellan's eyes flashed dangerously as they passed by two corpses, "Farm folk, killed by arrows..."

"Wow, helpful yeah?" Sera drawled sarcastically and smirked at the rise she got from the dalish mage, "From the look of this, probably killed by mercs."

"What did these people do that would get them killed by mercenaries?" Ellana inquired and turned around to face the group, Cassandra and Varric worked together to remove the arrows from the bodies and positioned them respectfully, then closed their hollow eyes. Her anger flared at the archer's nonchalant attitude.

"Who knows? Some die, some live. None of these poor sods had knives or shit and we can't do nothin' for them now, but we know who our baddies are. And that," Sera pointed to her full quiver, "Is something we can do about."

"For once we agree on something," Ellana cracked her knuckles and seethed, "If we follow the trail in this sketch hopefully we'll get to say hello to these hospitable shemlens."

"Not all the mercenaries are humans Herald," Solas didn't flinch at the heated glare, "What I mean to ask is: would you be ready to kill other elves if it came down to it?" The dalish mage's heart squeezed painfully and her throat suddenly felt parched and raw. _Why would they… Our people wouldn't stoop as low as thievery and senseless murder would they?_

Sera scoffed and scratched the back of her calf with her other foot then crossed her arms, "Tch, yeah right. She'd either cry or try to convert them, yell how wonderful it is to be an elfy elf." She winced when Lavellan clenched her fists so tightly a series of cracks echoed in the air. _Calm down, do not let her every comment get to you._ Her eyes burned hot with unshed tears and she whirled around then stomped down the trail, _if there are elves like_ _her_ _then there are elves that have resorted to banditry._

"And they," Ellana muttered under her breath, "Are hopeless to try to save." _Elves,_ she nodded affirmatively to sooth her conflicting conscience, _not Elvhen._

* * *

Swept up in the moment and fury, Lavellan's anger-addled mind tuned out the fact her companions shouted for her to stop as she charged towards the fortress. Sera gritted her teeth as she reached into her quiver, _this fucking idiot!_ "Calm yer tits down before ye get killed!" Nothing. The dalish mage miraculously dodged one of the arrows aimed for her by sheer luck and she used her staff to knock the marksman down his feet then grabbed his head, fire spawning from her palm and chewing the flesh of the screaming man's face. _Gross,_ Sera's stomach lurched and she let loose her arrow at one of the mercenaries closest to her.

"Herald!" Cassandra called out and blocked a slash then Varric riddled the mercenary with bolts.

"It's futile," Solas shouted and focused on sustaining the barrier for the four, "We have to do our best to follow her!"

"Thorns doesn't seem to like strategy or planning," Varric chuckled, "Wonder if she was always this hot headed."

"She's got flames for brains," Sera seethed and dove behind crates for cover after they crossed the bridge, "What do you expect?!"

"Where did she even go? I was expecting a trail of fire or corpses," Varric scanned the battlements and quickly shot one of the snipers, "Looks like we'll need to split up and search for her."

"Ain't goin' with Baldy unless he wants to find an arrow accidentally up his arse," Sera grinned as the group groaned, "Just sayin'!"

Cassandra sighed, "I can't believe I'm saying this but… Come with me, then. Varric and Solas will go up the left and we'll go up the right." They nodded in agreement and swiftly split up then rushed up the steps, covering each others' backs along the way. "Nothing," the Seeker muttered with concern, "What if she…?"

"Doubt it, stupid, but strong," Sera aimed her arrow and watched their surroundings as they slowly moved along the walls, "Angry enough to blow up this whole place, I think she's waiting for somethin'."

"Us?"

"Maybe. Doubt it. Flames for brains remember?" Before Cassandra could protest one of the snipers rose behind his cover and Sera rushed towards her, "Move!" She pushed her out of the way then reached into her quiver, but was too late. The sniper's arrow whizzed and sank into the side of her calf and Sera cried out in pain, immediately dropping to the ground and forcing herself to crawl to nearby cover. "Fuck!" The Seeker calls out and raises her shield, sprinting to Sera's side and grunting under the weight of the arrow as it recoiled off the shield. Her hands reach to pull the arrow shaft before they were swatted away, "Don't touch it! Ugh," the archer groaned and looked down, "Least it didn't fuckin' go straight through… Arrow-head's gonna be a bitch to get out later."

"We must pull it out and bandage it up," Cassandra urged, her eyes filled with guilt, "Why did you do that?"

"Flames for brains woulda blown up and killed us all if she saw an arrow in yer arse. I wanna live," Sera hissed when the stinging got worse as the adrenaline faded, "Thankfully we hate each other, so we're still safe."

"I do not believe the Herald dislikes you," the Seeker reassured, "She spends all her free time with you whenever she can."

"Tch, yeah coz I'm the only one who talks to her," Sera cringed when another arrow recoiled off the shield, "Fuck sake. Help me up I need to shove an arrow in this arsehole's plums!" Cassandra kept the shield up and with her free arm helped the archer stabilize herself, "Bring it down in a minute." She tilted her head and took a quick peek around the corner of the shield then cursed at the recoil. Leaning low on the ground she instead looked from the lower side of the crate, "Gotcha, fucker." She nods to Cassandra as she pulls out an arrow and draws the string, shuffling back to give herself space between the arrow and shield. "Now!" As soon as the shield lifted out of her view, Sera released the arrow and ducked down behind the crate, "Did I get him?"

"I think so," Cassandra grunted in approval, "Sera, how are you not dead?"

"What are you on about?" The city elf leaned over and inspected the arrow firmly embedded in her calf, "Ugh if this'd stop bloody stinging that'd be great."

"I was trained from childhood by the greatest swordsmen of the age. You were apparently orphaned to the streets with your wits and a quiver. Neither full."

"Pfft. You come from nobles, alright? Get over yourself. I'm not even near what real people live through." Their heads snap to the battlements when a series of crashes and shouting echoed, "Shite, we need to get up-" a huge explosion shook the air and rubble fell off the side of the battlements, "She is really pissed… How 'bout we stay here so she don't blow us up too?" The disapproving look Cassandra gave her made her groan, "And we're goin' up there… Fuck."

"We need to take out the arrow first," the Seeker reached for the arrow before her hands were swatted away again, "Sera we-"

"Said don't touch it! I'll handle it," _that's right, can't trust nobody but yourself,_ Sera glared at the Seeker, "Done this plenty of times before, go after the idiot while I take care of this." More explosions and shouting, Cassandra looked worried at the archer, "Go!" She cussed and hissed freely as soon as the warrior left, "Fucking finally..." Her hands quivered as they made way for the arrow shaft, _pull it out, one go. I can do this, I can do this, it won't hurt,_ as soon as her shaking fingers moved the shaft the slightest bit she cried out in pain again, "Fuck sake!" It wasn't long after that the shouting neared and Sera quickly readied her bow, scrambling for an arrow in her quiver and pulling the bow string back. Her leg accidentally rolls on to the arrow side and the end of it snaps off, the archer yelps when she feels the arrow head wedged deep inside shift. Ringing settled in her ears and her vision blurred when the pain intensified, she cursed when she noticed her hands shaking at the tension of the bow.

 _Fuck,_ sweat poured from her forehead as she tried to focus at the corridor the sounds originated from, _didn't think someone'd come here, shoulda known. Fuck,_ the steps thundered, _fuck,_ and increasingly neared, _fuck!_ As soon as the blurred outline rounded the corner, Sera released the arrow in desperation and cussed when her slick hand slipped along the handle, changing the arrow's trajectory ever so slightly. Her vision darkened and the ringing turned into screeching, her exhaustion overwhelmed her and she slackened against the crates as the blurred outline rushed towards her, _fuck…_ _Didn't even get to tell 'er I hated her guts._

Hated huh?

* * *

"Emma shem'nan! Ar tu na'din!"

Pain. Lots and lots of fucking pain. Sera awoke to more gibberish being shouted, _fuck this shit._ She groaned and rolled on her stomach, propping herself up on her elbows and trying to reach for her bow, _gonna make whoever this idiot is shut up..._ She looked down at her legs and wished she hadn't, the leg with the arrow embedded in it was not looking good whatsoever, and the damaged tissue around the edges of the penetration wound seemed to have been burned. _Wait._

Burned?

"Ma halam shems!" Groans echoed in the air and Sera's head snapped up, _no way!_ Lavellan had looked utterly exhausted and rested her hands on her knees, coughing out blood and wiping her lips with her forearm before struggling to stand back up. The two mercenaries before her were grinning in victory, merely toying with the wounded mage now. _She's gonna die,_ the archer's eyes widened as they trailed down Ellana's body, blood steadily seeping out of the endless gashes mapping her skin. Her eyes glanced at the hole in the sky, _fuck, she needs to fuckin' live to stitch that shit up,_ then back at the mage. One of the mercenaries calmly walked towards Lavellan who struggled to keep her balance, swaying and stumbling as more blood trickled down the corner of her lips. He clenched his fist tightly and laughed, swiftly driving his hand into the mage's gut. She choked out in pain and hopelessly clutched her ribs before crashing on the ground.

Both mercenaries laughed at Ellana who was face down and motionless on the ground, _she's not dead, right? Can't be,_ Sera chewed her lip and forced the dread down, instead focusing on crawling for her bow, _I'll make them fucking pay._ One of the men noticed her and hastily strode over, kicking the bow away and driving his heel into the small of her back. Sera cried out in agony, and the man howled in delight as he repeatedly kicked her in the ribs. The screaming itself radiated more pain everywhere and breathing was a chore, the city elf couldn't help but cry.

"Lookit this knife-ear, pathetic crybaby," the man chuckled sadistically and knelt down, grabbing Sera by the hair and pulling her head back, "Take a good look at your esteemed Herald, bitch. Down like a dog, just like you."

"F-fuck you..." Sera snarled then coughed out blood and helplessly face-planted into the dirt when the mercenary released her. She felt a cold gauntlet wrap around her calf as it squeezed tighter and tighter, clenching her fists and clawing at the dirt, pleading internally for the pain to stop but never giving the man the satisfaction. Her ears perked as she heard familiar coughing and her head snapped up despite the pain wracking her mind, _'bout time idiot!_

Lavellan struggles to stand up, one hand on her knee and heaving for air, her firebrand matted hair blocking her face. "You'll p-pay..." The mercenary grabs her by the fur-collar of her ripped shirt, lifting her and spitting in her face. She weakly clutches his wrists, "For hurting," the man cries out and lets go of her instantly, she stands unsteadily on her feet. She grabs the man by his face and glares at him, the amber specks hidden in the smoldering coal orbs now shine with fire, "My friend," she seethed, and flames erupted from her palm. Charred flesh and screams filled the air as the second panicked mercenary rushed towards her, Ellana calmly looked at him and let go of the scorched man, shifting her weight and side-stepping to avoid the attacker's strike. Her knee buckled, "Fuck!" Arms clutching her ribs and gritting her teeth, she closes her eyes and braces herself for the coming blow.

It never came.

The mercenary groaned and Ellana opened her eyes, widening at the arrow that took residence in the side of the attacker's head. Her eyes snapped to Sera, face conveying pure agony as she heaved for air, tossing her bow on the side and stabilizing herself on her hands and knees. The mage forced herself to stand and rushed to her, anger clouding her mind at her friend being injured for pure entertainment. Her eyes scanned the archer's legs, "Ir abelas," she whispered, "We need to pull out the arrow..."

 _No, no we don't, ugh..._ Sera grunted in acknowledgment, her battered ribs making it difficult to breathe, "This is so going to suck." She screamed when she felt the arrow shaft move slightly and glared behind her, "Pull it out in one fuckin' go ya daft tit," she wheezed, "Or it'll snap and the arrow-head's more fuckin' painful to get out." Ellana hesitantly nodded, concern clearly etched in her eyes, _no way she got a clear head with all that fuckin' blood drainin' from her,_ upon further inspection she noticed that the tanned mage had actually looked pale. _She's gon' pu-_ " **FUCK**!" The arrow was swiftly pulled out and blood sputtered out, Lavellan apologized as she hovered her hand over the fresh wound. Fresh tears burned hot in Sera's eyes and she wailed in agony as she felt the mage cauterize the laceration, coughing and wheezing when her ribs protested.

Lavellan helped her roll on her back and wiped the tears with the back of her hand, constantly apologizing with eyes burning with intense fury. She kept glancing back at the already-dead mercenaries, a murderous killing intent smothered the atmosphere. "W-where," Sera gasped and clutched her ribs, "Where are the others?" _How the fuck did the Seeker not find this loud idiot?_ _Just follow the fucking explosions and screaming, can't mess that up._

"Separated. I accidentally collapsed the main passageway, but I saw them on the other end."

"Fuck. Course ya blew up our chance. Literally..." The archer glanced again at Lavellan, "You need to lay down before you pass out, ya got no color in your face," her eyes trailed at the number of bruises and gashes dotting the dalish woman's body, "Need to do somethin' 'bout those too..."

"I'm fine," Ena gritted out and inspected Sera's injured leg with eyes filled with guilt, her hand gently hovered over, "This-"

"Don't touch it," it was more a plea than a demand.

"I won't," the mage glanced across the courtyard and then back at Sera, "Sorry, this is going to hurt but we need to move," she hooks her arms under Sera's knees and shoulder blades, wincing as the archer cries out once more. Sera desperately clung to Lavellan's shirt and buried her face in the dalish elf's bosom, curses muffled and tears soaked the thin and tattered fabric.

"Ir abelas," Ellana chanted with each step.

"Don't fuckin' know yer fancy words ya daft tit," Sera mumbled irritatedly yet hummed approvingly when she felt familiar heat radiate from the mage's body and course through her limbs. _Wanna sleep..._

Lavellan stopped momentarily and buried her nose in Sera's hair, shoulders shaking slightly as the remorse and exhaustion ate away at her. "I promise," she whispered with fervent conviction, "I'll become even stronger," her voice cracked, "I won't lose another friend ever again." Sleep weighed heavily on Sera's mind as the warmth seeped into her muscles and soothed the aches, her eyes fluttered shut and the last image was the sweat-slicked mage's reassuring smile beamed down at her.

 _Too bad she didn't actually streak while she was fighting._


	5. Suledin Ena'salin

****Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!****

 **AN** **:** Who's right, who's wrong? You be the judge of that!

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _Suledin:_ Endure (Suledin song translation at bottom of the chapter)

 _Ena:_ appear; emerge (not to be confused with Ellana's nickname)

 _Enasalin:_ victory

 _Suledin Ena'salin (intended meaning):_ Endure [and] Emerge Victorious (not to be confused with enasal)

 _Ma nuvenin:_ As you wish

 _'Ma'sula_ : My song (emma shortened to 'ma, ma=you, 'ma=me/my/I)

 _Ir abelas:_ I'm sorry

 _Ma'atisha:_ You [were] peaceful

 _Ma serannas:_ Thank you

* * *

 **Suledin Ena'salin**

* * *

Stiff and creaky all over. Sera's eyes fluttered open and peered around in the darkness, her palms scraped along the rough ground. She flinched when all of a sudden crackling shot out and flames came to life, she sighed at the familiar face that shone as bright as the fire. _Who else would be grinning like an idiot beside a fire? What a weirdo,_ "What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Ellana glanced over, one eyebrow risen as she looked at the archer, "...It is obvious, right?"

Sera smirked, "'fraid not." _Too fun to mess with her._

"Oh, I thought it'd-"

"Messing with ya, really are gullible aren't you? You trust too easily, get burned for that someday."

"I can handle the heat."

"I'm not talkin' about fire ye daft tit," Sera groaned and braced her ribs with one arm as she stood up and walked closer to the fire, the curious gaze was all it took to shatter her patience, "Never mind."

"You really think it's bad to trust?"

"Course," Sera watched as the mage walk around the dark cave and search for more flint, "Bites you in the arse sooner or later."

"You need to trust though, you trust something or someone one way or another. I trust you with my life when we're fighting, don't you feel the sa-"

"Nope, not on my life that's for damn sure. You'd sooner kill me than save me," Sera purposefully ignored their current predicament, _she blew up our chance of getting out, now we're stuck in some stupid cave. Proves my point._

"So you trust nobody? Nothing?" Ellana spoke softly and knelt across the archer, the amber specks skipped and swirled just like the fire before them. _Pretty... Wait._

"Nope."

"What about your bow? You trust it not to split, you trust it's strung well, that it bends properly. In doing so, you have put your trust in the one who's created your bow."

"Well shite yeah but I mean trusting someone beside ya."

"And if the craftsman stood beside you? Would you trust him or her?"

"Nope," Sera was quickly getting frustrated at the circular conversation, "Look this is pointless, we're gettin' nowhere arguing 'bout trust." _She don't get what I mean._

"You started it," Lavellan smiled warmly, "I enjoy getting to know you. Even if you do not trust me, know that I trust you." The city elf oddly felt entranced by the scene, her mouth hung slightly loose as the fire flickered to and fro, dancing with grace like it's master. Her stomach twisted into little pleasant knots and she averted her gaze from the dalish mage who chuckled softly.

"S-shut up and make the fire bigger, honey-tongue..." _The fuck's wrong with me?_

"Ma nuvenin, 'ma'sula," Ellana's ears twitched and she glanced back up, "Ir abelas-err, I'm sorry. I forgot you don't like..." She trailed off sadly and shook her head then went back to tending the fire, "Forget I said anything." Despite the awkward tension, Sera couldn't find it in her to goad the dalish mage, she merely nodded and relished in the warmth that was provided. "How's your leg?"

At that Sera winced when the stinging surfaced to the front of her mind, "Did bloody well till you mentioned it," she glanced over and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, _what the?_ Her fingers skimmed lightly at the make-shift bandage, she hadn't noticed the mage watching with nervous curiosity. The archer slid her pinkie finger inside the edge of the bandage, _nice and snug,_ she inspected the alternating layers, _wrapped properly,_ the corners of her lips curl into a smirk. "Not bad for an elfy elf," she glanced up at Lavellan, "Burns a little though, you did that?"

Ellana sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck and guiltily looked down, "Ir abelas," she mumbled. "Wait you don't remember?"

"Nope," Sera rapped her knuckles along her head, "Little fuzzy when ya pulled out the arrow. Lookin' at yer mopey face I'm thinking it's for the best though." Her eyes trailed along the dalish mage's body, "Idiot, how long have you been walkin' around without dealing with the ones you got?"

"Wanted to get us into safety first," Lavellan shrugged nonchalantly, "Then you were shivering so the fire came next and-"

"Undress," Sera raked her hand through her hair and exhaled frustratedly, "I can deal with being cold ye daft tit. Yer gonna get an infection or bleed the fuck out."

"It's not a problem, I've alre-"

"It is a problem, quit bein' stubborn!" The archer pushed herself up and wobbled over to Lavellan then irritatedly yanked on the tattered shirt, "How do you even call this pish clothes? Just a friggin' thin..." She trailed off and suddenly a lump formed in her throat, she glanced up at the quiet mage staring intently at her with a warm smile, "What?"

"You have a good heart."

 _Ugh, why does she have to be so… So…!_ "Shut up and undress already," Sera reached into her back pouch and pulled out her tools, "Ever been stitched up?" She walked to the fire and held the needle out to heat up the tip, desperately trying to ignore the sounds of the clothes shuffling and hitting the ground with a soft thud.

"No," Ellana muffled under the shirt as she pulled it over her head, "Keeper always healed me if I had serious injuries, otherwise I dealt with it." She abandoned the shirt and worked on her battered tights next, "I used to travel outside the camp much to Keeper's displeasure, came back covered with scrapes and bruises every time." The mage chuckled sadly, "Eventually she gave up stopping me and instead trained me to become better with my fire. Saved me more than once too. Where would you like me to sit?"

Sera was snapped out of her reverie, oddly enough she had actually been interested in the story. "Uh," looking back was a mistake, _are you serious?!_ "Ena," she clenched her teeth and patted the spot beside her, "Sit here." _How the fuck am I supposed to focus with her arse-fucking-naked?_ Her eyes glazed over the numerous cuts mapping the mage's skin, _that's got to be bloody painful._ She positioned herself behind Lavellan, "I'll start with your back first." _Never saw this before,_ her fingers moved on their own accord and lightly skimmed along the tattoo along the mage's spine, retracting her hand when Ellana shuddered.

"That felt good, so this is what stitching is?"

"No, idiot," Sera teased with a softness she had not even known she possessed, "This is stitching," she penetrated the closest healthy tissue along one of the gashes with the needle and quickly threaded through before the mage's squirming caused more damage. "Sit still!"

"That hurts!"

"Well that's stitching, doing my best so it won't hurt as much! One of your cuts is infected, gotta drain the pus after I finish up with this one." The archer sighed frustratedly as her eyes trailed along some of the other wounds that were haphazardly cauterized, "Next time just wake me the fuck up." She missed the pout and mumble, "What was that?"

"I said," Lavellan clenched her fists and her jaw tensed when she felt the needle thread through, "I enjoy watching you sleep. Ma'atisha."

"Oh," Sera didn't know what else to say, part of her beckoned to goad the mage, the other buzzed pleasantly once more at the mage's sincere honesty. _Honesty,_ she inwardly scoffed, _she'll get burned someday, wear your heart on yer sleeve, someone's bound to smash it to pieces._ She opted to tease instead, "Pervert."

"What's pervert mean?"

"Don't worry your pretty head 'bout it weirdie," the archer successfully wove the last bit and leaned forward, using her sharp canines to cut the thread. She was confused when the mage shuddered, "Sorry. Hurt?"

"No, that felt good," Ellana twisted her upper body to look at Sera, "Do you have magic?"

"W-what?!" Sera stammered then laughed nervously, "Of all the stupid things to ask, you pick the most stupid." _Ain't gonna fuckin' sleep now._

"I'm serious!" The mage's eyebrows furrowed in concentration, "When you touched and then breathed on my skin it was like… Lightning, electricity. That's what it feels like anyways, I don't get it," she looked pleadingly at the stunned archer, "What is it?" _Fuck_ _._

"Turn back around daft tit, I'm not finished stitching up," Sera nervously chewed the corner of her bottom lip, _shit…_ _What do I tell her? Wait,_ she shook her head, _no reason to worry,_ "Back's sensitive from all these bleedin' cuts is all."

"But it feels good."

"In yer weird head it does," the city elf unsheathed her knife strapped to her hip, "Stay still, gonna cut open and get the pus out this big fucker. Ready?" Ellana inhales sharply and nods, "Can't believe I'm suggesting this, but might want to talk to get yer mind offa this one luv, uhh… Shite I dunno 'bout what."

"H-how about," Lavellan grunts when she feels the tip of the knife press into her, "I like to sing, but it is in my tongue. Would that bother you?"

"Whatever works, long as you don't scream at me I don't care," the rogue brushed her hand to move Ellana's hair out of the way then cupped her hand around the infected gash. _This gonna get real messy._

"Mel- _ah_ -va inan enansal, ir su - _tch_ \- araval tu elvaral," Ellana withholds the pained whimpers and forces all her attention on the song, the agony eventually fading to the back of her mind. "U na emma abelas, in elgar sa vir mana," the sparks traveled along her flesh again and caused little goosebumps to rise along her forearms. She glanced back at the archer who unexpectedly had a look of content focus as she worked, "In tu setheneran din emma na." The fluid drained and trickled down her back, she vaguely registered a soft fabric wiping along her skin, "Lath sulevin, lath araval ena."

 _Don't understand none o' this pish but…_ Sera glanced up and stared at the mage's nape, _sounds as pretty as she looks._ "Arla ven tu vir mahvir, melana'nehn," the archer deftly thread the needle through and bit down to sever the string, tying the ends with practiced skill. Her stomach buzzed strongly when Ellana looked back with an exhausted sweat-slicked expression yet she still smiled as she softly whispered, "Enasal ir sa lethalin." _How can she still smile when she's in pain?_

"I'm..." Sera gave the mage's back another once over, "Done on this side. Anywhere else?" She desperately sought out a distraction from her conflicting feelings. Her mind screamed that she was an idiot for ignoring everything she's learned the hard way, yet she couldn't help but entertain the hopeful notions of her heart. _Maybe she ain't so bad? Maybe I can trust her?_

"I got one on my ribs, b-"

"No way," Sera knew where this was going. Fate was truly cruel to her, trapping her with a clueless and enticing woman that challenged everything she believed and liked. "Deal with that one yourself," her temper flared at the curious gaze, _ain't stitching up yer friggin' breasts idiot! I'd never look where I'm supposed to!_ She sighed frustratedly and held out the needle to the dwindling fire then wiped her tools down with the ends of her shirt. _Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with me?_ She watched as the mage shrugged and moments later saw the steam that rose in the air, not a single pained whimper was uttered. _Must be used to that huh…_ "Doesn't that hurt?" _First of all she's bloody weird._

"Fire's my favorite thing," Ellana replied tiredly. _Second, she's creepy with that fuckin' magic._

"Know that. That's enough then, liking fire?" _Gives 'handle the heat' a whole new meaning._

"It's part of me, like my skin." _Third of all I don't get her elfy elf shite, especially this rubbish._ "So it's more like… Replacing or adding more to me rather than burning it away." _She's so frigging weird!_

"Why didn't you do that for your back?"

"Couldn't reach," Ellana grinned childishly as she stood and strode for her clothes, "Ma serannas."

Sera's ears perked and her irritation flared at full strength, "Keep my fuckin' name out yer stupid elfy piss."

"What?" Lavellan re-dressed with such grace and speed it simply proved how often she spent out of her clothes than in them, "I was saying thank you. Ma serannas means thank you."

"Then say it bloody normal, with real words. Like this wo-"

"I know what words mean Sera," Ellana snapped and glared at the archer, her patience crumbled and she was simply fed up with the constant bashing. "You know what? I'm sorry if the dalish have done you a disservice, I've no idea how to make that up to you and I'm sorry for that too. I'm sorry that you hate the dalish, sorry that you don't like our ways, sorry for all of that, okay? But I am not sorry that I am dalish, and I am not sorry that I will not change. You told me yourself, remember? Just be you. Well here I am, I'm being me. Feel free to leave if you don't like it."

"Got some nerve," Sera spat, "This how you dalish lot say thank you then huh?" She held up her hand when the mage was about to protest, "Stop. Just shut up, I don't wanna hear it." The city elf started to wobble down the cave, "If I don't get the fuck out of here I'll kill myself if I have to spend another minute with you. Oh, and Ena?" She turned around, hurt evident on her features, "You're a real fucking prick." _Fourth of all, I hate her fucking guts._

* * *

The awkward silence as the two traveled along the path had been absolutely suffocating. Lavellan had been their guide, a dull flame flickering in her palm as their source of light. The fire itself somehow seemed to be lacking its usual life and passion, much like its master. The mage wisely remained silent after multiple threats and eventually the cold shoulder, Sera had made it clear just how upset she was. It wasn't so much the insults that bothered Ellana, it was the fact that the archer didn't even care to respond anymore. _I really hurt her,_ the mage's eyes were filled with guilt and regret, _I was too harsh, I've gone too far…_ Now the greatest mystery apart from the hole in the sky haunted her.

How to gain the city elf's forgiveness.

Lavellan stole peeks every now and then, she flinched when she accidentally made eye contact at one point. _What good am I if I blow everything up? I can't even say sorry to my best friend,_ she sighed quietly, _Samahl… What would you do?_ She noticed Sera rub her arms together and her eyes honed in on the gooseflesh, _she's cold?_ Her concern ate away at her but she knew if she had offered her shirt the archer would simply turn it down out of spite, instead she did the only sensible thing anyone else would do.

She set herself on fire.

Not literally, of course, or at least not yet anyways. Ellana had risen her own bodily temperature slightly passed the amount she could tolerate and inched a little closer to the city elf, too nervous to glance and see her reaction. Her heart squeezed painfully at Sera's sigh and her head bowed guiltily, _she doesn't like it…_ Much to her surprise, the archer reluctantly mumbled quietly, "Get closer, daft tit." Lavellan tried to contain her excitement as the child within her bounced around with mirth and triumph, yet this did not go unnoticed. "And wipe that stupid smile of yer face, I'm still-" Sera stopped when the mage looked at her, the unrestrained carefree grin plastered on her face. "Still… Mad," the rogue sighed, "Might forgive ya but only if you warm me up. Bloody freezing here."

"Ma nuvenin," in her haste and excitement, Ellana missed the annoyed eye twitch and frown. She walked behind the archer and circled her arms around her waist, and extended her one hand out in the front. The flame in her palm came back to life stronger than ever, reflecting the contagious joy as it shone brightly and illuminated the two. "If your leg is sore, step on my feet and I'll walk for us," Lavellan grinned when the city elf tilted her head to give her a skeptical look. "It'll work I promise! I used to do this with my brother, well I was the one hugging his legs while he carried me though. Lots of fun too."

"A-alright," _why does Sera sound different? Nervous, almost?_ "Quit moving for a sec then," the rogue cautiously stepped on Ellana's feet as gently as she could, "Don't my boots hurt yer feet?"

"It's not a problem," Lavellan beamed, _this aching pain is nothing compared to the silence earlier._ "Hold on tight, I'm movi- _wah_!" Both of them lost their balance and swayed, "This is a lot harder than I remember..."

"That's coz yer brother was the one doing the work! Yeesh, I could just walk normally weirdo," Sera teased and turned around then yelped in surprise when Ellana suddenly moved forward and enveloped her in a hug.

"Here, hold on this way it'll be easier to move I think," the mage ignored the protests and started to walk, forcing Sera to hop on her feet and hold on, "There, that wasn't so hard to figure out!" _She's tense,_ her curiosity got the best of her as usual, "Is something wrong Sera? You're really stiff." Then she remembered, "Oh, your ribs!" She stilled in confusion when she tried to pry the archer off, who merely tightened her grip and buried her face in the crook of Ellana's neck.

"Just shut up," the mage missed the quiet tease tinged with a hint of affection, "Weirdo..."

Lavellan gulped and nodded, confused as her nerves seemingly thrummed vibrantly with the electricity that coursed through her. She knew better than to ask Sera again however, _I'll ask the Ambassador when we're back in Haven, for now…_ She glanced down and smiled at the tuft of blonde hair tickling her nose. She decided to listen to the rogue's advice for once, she shut up and simply enjoyed the moment. _Sera's finally warming up to me,_ Ellana grinned childishly at that thought.

* * *

 _Not that I'd ever tell 'im but,_ Sera looked around the open plains and was relieved to find the other half of the group approach them, _I'm even happy to see Baldy now._ "Lookit that, you chose the right cave and didn't blow us up," warning bells went off in her head when the mage squeezed her waist in response. _Wait._

Squeezed?

 _Oh shit!_ The archer quickly pushed away from Ellana, _daft tits would get the wrong idea if they saw me friggin' hugging her. And the stupid dwarf,_ she inwardly groaned when the group neared and Varric had a smug smile plastered on his face, _fuck, they saw it. He's probably gonna write how we shagged coz why not if we think we gonna die, or I fell in love with her coz she's a heroine or some other stupid bullshit._ Her stomach buzzed slightly and she finally registered the dull ache settled in between her thighs, the thought of the two having sex mixed with the lingering warmth tampered with her desire-driven hormones. _Shit, seriously what's wrong with me? I don't like her!_

Silently watching as Lavellan greeted the group and reassured their concerns, the city elf counted backwards in her head and desperately tried to distract herself from the torrent of mixed feelings. _Hate words, hate feelings,_ her eyes burned into the lithe back as she trailed behind the group while they traveled back to camp. _Hate you too! All your friggin' fault, you did this to me on purpose!_ She blanched at the next doubt, _what if it's a fancy spell?_ She shook her head, _no way, she's too damn clueless._ Subconsciously gravitating towards the mage for warmth, it didn't help when she could vividly single out Ellana's scent from the others. _Ashes, wood, dirt and sun, such a friggin' elfy elf smell…_ Yet one that oddly enough comforted her. _Can't even smell sun, how the fuck would I know what sun smells like? But that's what she smells like…_ Sera groaned quietly, _quit thinking about her fucking smell, idiot!_

Truth be told, the archer desperately tried to deny possibly the worst fact to her, trust. She was beginning to trust the mage despite all odds and despite her constantly insisting she didn't like the dalish woman. And it was out of control. She hadn't noticed Ellana had been calling out to her and the group's snide remarks, it wasn't until she accidentally bumped into the mage that she was brought out of her thoughts, and snapped. "Watch where yer goin'!" Her stomach churned pleasantly when the smell intensified, humid air, dry and musty dirt mixed with sweat and the woody bits always made her feel secure. It reminded her of warmth and for some reason she also associated the mage with some sort of promise. _Weird… When she did she promise me?_ Her reverie shattered once again and she noticed the worried expression on Ellana's face, "The heck you staring for?"

"You keep spacing out, are you alright?" Lavellan didn't wait for her response, instead she turned around, knelt on one knee and hovered her hands behind her, "Get on my back, you need to rest or you'll end up passing out."

"What? I feel fi-"

"Get on my back Sera! You call me stubborn but you're just as stubborn too," Ellana tried to glare sternly but all her eyes conveyed were concern, "Please?"

 _Ugh. Just ugh. Why do you gotta be so…_ Sera reluctantly caved in and grumbled as she positioned herself, _stupid puppy eyes. Can't say no,_ "Just don't break yer back and-" _Oh crap. Almost forgot,_ "Wait don't- _wah!_ " Without another word, the mage easily lifted and adjusted Sera, her hands slid under her thighs and she began the trek once again. "Yer stitches, idiot, you'll rip them open like this."

"They won't."

"They might." _Never cared for what ifs or mights, no seriously. What's wrong with me?_

"I trust that they won't."

"Trust ain't enough, how do you know?"

"You said you did your best right? That's how I know they won't."

Sera fell silent and stared incredulously at the back of the mage's head, _how can you say these things so fuckin' easily?_ "Don't say I didn't warn ya, told you trust like that's gonna get you burned some day."

"In that case I'm glad it's your fire," Lavellan tilted her head and beamed a childish grin at the archer, "I appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine."

"You don't know that, daft tit..." Sera mumbled and her breath hitched when the mage whispered back.

"I have you by my side. That's how I know I will."

…

…

…

 _...Weirdo..._

* * *

 **Suledin Song**

 _Melava inan enansal_

 _Ir su araval tu elvaral_

 _U na emma abelas_

 _In elgar sa vir mana_

 _In tu setheneran din emma na_

 _Lath sulevin_

 _Lath araval ena_

 _Arla ven tu vir mahvir_

 _Melana'nehn_

 _Enasal ir sa lethalin_

* * *

 **Loose Translation**

Time was once a blessing

But long journeys are made longer

When alone within.

Take spirit from the long ago

But do not dwell in lands no longer yours.

Be certain in need,

And the path will emerge

To a home tomorrow

And time will again

Be the joy it once was


	6. Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

**Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!**

 **AN** **:** In terms of what Ellana wears, I envision her with the Dalish  Scout armor of DA:I, aka Merril's armor from DA2. In this chapter, much of it is missing or tattered from the battle, may make it easier to imagine things. Things get a little heated in this chapter as the two struggle to sort out their conflicting thoughts and feelings! The rivalry romance is slowly blooming.

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _An'eth'ara:_ 'My safe place', a friendly greeting

 _Ma isala halani:_ [are] you in need of help?

 _Lethallin/Lethallan:_ Friendly reference to one who is familiar, lin for males, lan for females

 _Hamin:_ rest, relax

 _Fenedhis:_ wolf dick, common curse

 _Seth'lin:_ thin blood

 _Ir isala ghilan, ma banal halani:_ I am in need of guidance [and] you [do] nothing [to] help

 _Vir'shemlen:_ path of the quick children aka human ways

 _Ma serannas:_ Thank you

 _Vhenan:_ heart

 _Dareth shiral:_ farewell, safe journey

 _Falon:_ friend

 _Andaran atish'an: '_ Enter this place in peace', a formal greeting

 _Ir abelas:_ I'm sorry

* * *

 **Two Steps Forward, One Step Back**

* * *

"An'eth'ara Solas," Ellana winced when she could feel the heat rise from the archer sitting beside her. For the entire duration of the trek back to camp, Sera had been relatively quiet and surprisingly spoke softly when she did respond, to the mage anyways. _I wonder what's on her mind?_ Her attitude seemed to shift now that they were alone in the tent, and this worried the mage greatly. _She hasn't swore, she hasn't made any comments about dalish or elfy elves,_ her eyes went back to the intrusion at the entrance of the tent, "Ma isala halani?" She cringed when the heat intensified, _I know I like fire, but this one is actually scary._

"Actually, I was going to ask you that," Solas and Sera exchanged disapproving glances and he shook his head, "The field doctor told me you two are covered in injuries."

"We took care of them already," Lavellan grinned with pride and reached down to pull her shirt off before the archer grabbed her wrist and stopped her. "It's okay if it's-"

"It's not okay, idiot! You can't just go streaking whenever you want!"

At this, Solas sighed and rubbed his forehead now that he pieced together what was about to happen if the archer didn't intervene, "It's quite alright Lethallan, you don't need to undress. In any case, I believe my healing may be of use to ensure the wounds are taken care of properly."

"They are," Sera spat, "Don't need fancy magic, betcha I did a better job than what you'd do too."

"Is that so?" Solas smirked, "Better than being pain-free and healed completely?" The archer grumbled and looked away, "That's what I thought. In that case may I take a look, Lethallan?"

"Betcha just wanna see her naked," Sera whispered menacingly and Ellana cast a confused glance at her, _what's the big deal? Everyone is naked under their clothes_. The mage nodded and looked down, _so if I can't take my shirt off, how am I supposed to show him?_ She inspected her arms and found one of the cuts she burnt on the inner side of her elbow then held it out to Solas when he knelt in front of her.

"You did this?" Solas looked concerned at the dalish mage who gave a sort of half-shrug, "Have you never been taught healing magic?"

"I've never had the patience for it, easier and faster to burn," Ellana glanced confusedly when she felt the sparks that traveled along her skin when Solas lightly brushed his fingers against the swollen scar. _What is this sensation?_

"Does that mean you also burnt Sera?" The question had a hint of amusement which did not go unnoticed as the archer grunted and continued to watch protectively. "I can teach you if you like, it's quite simple to grasp really. One must know pain and the extent of an injury in order to heal, one step you have covered quite well." He rotated the dalish mage's arm and found another scar, his fingers taking on a soft green glow as he soothed the angry flesh, "Before you say no, it may come in handy when treating others again. Not everyone," he looked up at Lavellan with something in his eyes that she couldn't understand, "Appreciates fire the way you do."

"I guess," Ellana mumbled guiltily when she stole a peek at Sera's leg, _he's right. She was in a lot of pain when I…_ Her heart squeezed at the flashback and the archer's cries, _even if she doesn't remember it, I do._ "If you do not mind helping then sure, but once we get back to Haven." She missed the quiet scoff and mutter beside her, "Has everyone stocked up on what they need for the journey?"

"Yes, however the child of the stone and Seeker insisted you two rest before we set out. You've been through a lot," Solas stood and made way for the tent exit, "Hamin, Lethallan. You need it," before he left he glanced at Sera, eyes narrowing with disapproval. He shook his head and sighed, leaving without another word. For some reason Ellana suddenly felt awkward beside the city elf, she glanced with nervous worry only to find that the archer had laid on her side, back facing her.

"Are you feeling unwell?"

"Piss off," Sera grumbled, "Don't wanna talk." _So she doesn't feel well,_ the dalish mage scooted closer and laid directly behind her. "What are you doing?"

"Warming you up," Lavellan closed her eyes and focused on raising her temperature, "Hopefully you'll feel at least a little better," _I don't know what else to do._ Her hand brushed along the archer's forearm and she propped herself up on her elbow when Sera shivered. "You're still cold? Are you catching a-"

"Shut up," Sera groaned, "Yer mouth always ruins it when it gets good… How can someone be as friggin' clueless as you are?"

"I… Don't know," Ellana hesitantly replied and furiously tried to figure out what the archer meant in her mind, reluctant to ask her to explain lest she got more frustrated. _Perhaps she is feeling the same sparks that I do, and also doesn't know what it is?_ "So then it does feel good?" Her hand draped around the city elf's waist as she stared at the side of her face, she scooted closer and laid back down.

"Yeah..." Sera mumbled sleepily, "Why the heck are you so clingy with me?"

"We're friends," Lavellan easily replied as a proud smile swept her face, "You're my best friend."

"That's it huh," _why does she sound sad? Isn't that good?_ "Figures you wouldn't know what this is."

"Whatever it is," Ellana tucked her legs behind the archer's, "I like it, so it's good. I don't see a problem with it."

Sera chuckled quietly, "You always say this shit so easily."

* * *

Shivering, lonely, Sera sat up and looked behind her, _where'd she go?_ Another spasm wracked her body and she hugged her arms, _shite,_ she sniffled and stood up. _Got used to always being toasty,_ she ducked out of the tent and looked around the barren camp then up at the night sky, _sure slept long._ She wobbled to Varric who was keeping watch, "Know where Ena went?" The dwarf snored and Sera sighed, _great, I feel so fuckin' safe._ She lightly smacked the dwarf across the head, "Wake up or go swap with someone ya daft tit."

Varric looked at her groggily and lifted his crossbow from where it had rested on the ground, "Can't," he mumbled exhaustively, "Just swapped with the Seeker."

"What about Baldy or Ena?"

"Ohh something about going to the lake down there, don't know why though," Varric shrugged, but then smirked knowingly at the archer, "Never know what Chuckles might be doing." That was all it took for Sera to race across the field despite the aches and pain, she ignored the dwarf's laughter echoing behind her, _that idiot thinks it's so funny, this is seriously not fucking good!_ _He might be touching her or…_ She trailed off and slowed down, _why do I care? She's got to look out for herself._ She rubbed her sweaty palms then clenched and unclenched her fists as she walked, _she's got to learn the hard way, like I did. Then she'll know her precious stories don't do shite. Alright, time to turn around then._

She didn't.

 _Just a peek yeah? Won't hurt. Curious, not worried,_ her steps hastened when she heard quiet laughter and water splashed about. _They're swimming together?_ It felt like a dagger had cut and twisted up her insides, she forced herself to hide behind one of the bushes and steeled herself when she looked. _What the…_

Lavellan had been alone.

Sera scanned the surroundings, _where's Baldy?_ Her eyes fell back on the dalish mage bathing in the lake, the moonlight made it look as though her hair had been on fire and her skin glistened with the water that clung to her. _W-what is she…_ The archer found herself speechless, mouth hung loosely as she guiltily soaked in the scene before her. She jumped and scrambled away when she felt a hand drop on her shoulder, _fuck! I didn't hear nobody!_

"Shh," Solas quietly urged, "I'm keeping watch for her. Have you come to take my place?"

"Wha-uhh yeah, should probably see how Varric's holdin' up, daft tit keeps falling asleep instead." Solas nodded and tiredly whispered thanks before setting off, _wow he looked like shite. How long has he been here?_ Sera decided to ask the dalish woman herself for answers, she wove through the bushes and rose her hands in surrender when Ellana had reacted immediately, flames flickering in her palms and ready to shoot, "Relax. Just me."

"What are you doing here?" Lavellan extinguished the flames and waded towards the edge of the lake, "Couldn't sleep?"

"Uh..." _What do I tell her?_ Sera inwardly groaned, _why am I constantly worried now? This is getting annoying,_ "Yeah couldn't sleep."

"In that case, would you like to join me? The water's nice."

 _Is she for fucking real?!_ "Ain't it cold?" She face-palmed when the mage grinned childishly, _how did I not see the steam,_ "Right, forgot. You didn't turn it into a fuckin' lava pool did you?" Sera dipped her hand inside the water and immediately retracted, "Fuck what the hell Ena, are you trying to roast me?!"

"Oh, too hot?" Sera's eyes subconsciously trailed down the mage's body, _yep. Way too hot._ _Wait, wait, wait,_ she shook her head, "So… Not hot? Now I'm confused." _Fuck, forgot._ Sera sighed frustratedly, _she's driving me insane._

"I'm gonna turn into a lobster and yer gonna cook me alive," the corners of her lips curled into a smirk as the mage laughed proudly, "That ain't somethin' to be happy 'bout ya jerk!"

"I don't know, I'm feeling kind of hungry," Ellana's grin and the way the amber specks glowed sent heat pooling in the pits of Sera's stomach, _she's… She doesn't even get what else that fuckin' means! No wonder people always get the wrong idea with her._

"Shut up and go back in the lake, I'll meetcha soon. Just quit boiling the damn water already," Sera huffed and quickly worked on her clothes, _could go for a good soak, haven't in a long time._ As she pulled her shirt over her head she muffled, "Hey Ena, you couldn't sleep either or somethin'?" She was surprised the dalish mage had heard her, _good ears._

"Had a bad dream," Lavellan cupped her hands in the water then poured it over her face, she looked at Sera then averted her gaze to the water as she waded in deeper, _why's she lookin' like she saw a hairy arse?_ The archer scanned her surroundings then shrugged as she hopped into the lake. When she swam up to the dalish mage, her heart fluttered and she inwardly cursed at herself, _this ain't no big fuckin' deal, done way more before. Besides this clueless tit doesn't get fuck all._ "You won't..." Ellana mumbled lowly, "You won't disappear if I dive under water, will you?"

"W-what?" Sera bellowed out freely, "What kind of question's that?" She tilted her head in confusion when the mage remained silent, _looks so damn sad._ "Oi, look at me," the archer grinned, her toothy canines illuminated by the moonlight, "Won't disappear yeah? How 'bout I dive down witcha?" _There we go, much better._ Ellana completely switched and the fire came back in her eyes, childish glee and relief evident as the tension melted from her body. As they dove down into the dark depths, the city elf had wondered just what sort of dream Lavellan had. _Frigging holes in friggin' dreamland, it's sorta real ain't it? To her, anyways._ Her lungs protested and she resurfaced, head whirling around, _where is she?_ Concern crept into her mind, "Ena? Where are-" something soft grabbed her ankle and pulled her back down. Her heart thundered and fear choked her, she thrashed and kicked under water as she desperately tried to keep what little air she had left.

Whatever had grabbed her ankle let go of her and was replaced by something hooked around her waist that pulled her back up. As soon as her head broke the barrier between water and air, she coughed and heaved for sorely needed oxygen. Vibrations rumbled behind her and she glared back, her temper flaring at the carefree grin on the dalish mage's face. "Scared you!"

"Shut up, asshole! Who the fu..." Sera's eyes widened and her body suddenly became acutely sensitive at their current position, _oh. Ohhh no. Ohhhh fuck._ Lavellan stared back in confusion and managed to keep them both afloat when the archer's legs stopped kicking. _H-her arm and…_ Sera gulped. She could feel the haze rapidly overwhelm her mind and the ache became too annoying to ignore. Hardly an ache, really, it had morphed into an urge where her instincts screamed at her to take action already. _Naked, behind. She's fucking naked and behind me._ "Ena let g-go of me already." _What the hell is wrong with me? Plenty of reasons not to like her, which I don't._

"You're really tense, you must have a lot of knots," _yeah all up in my fucking stomach!_ "Come on let's go back to the tent and I'll ease them out for you. Are you okay to swim by yourself?"

"Course weirdo, why wouldn't I be?" Sera mumbled and averted her gaze as disappointment welled up in her, _why's this feeling shite got to be so hard to figure out… I want, I take, I don't get why it feels different with her. This is friggin' annoying._

"Your muscles might cramp up," Lavellan stated worriedly, "Here I'll-"

"I can take care of myself," Sera forcibly pushed away from the dalish mage and swam back to the edge of the lake, "Always have, always will." She couldn't figure out the nagging disappointment that gradually grew, _if it ain't me, then why?_ As she climbed out and wrestled with her clothes, she looked behind her and finally knew why she had been disappointed. Ellana turned away and her back faced Sera.

Lavellan never once looked at the archer's body.

* * *

"Sera wait up!" _It's that same fire, this heat,_ Ellana mused, _she's angry again. What did I do now?_ She wrestled with her clothes as fast as she could before frustratedly boiling herself to evaporate the water that clung to her skin. "Come here, you're going to catch cold!" _How'd she manage to dress when she's wet too? Her clothes look more complicated,_ the mage rushed over but before she reached for Sera, her hands froze. _What's that smell?_ Her stomach churned both pleasantly and miserably at the same time, _salty and… What's the second one?_ "...Sera?" The archer stopped and muttered lowly.

"Just tired Ena," _she definitely sounds drained,_ "Let's go get some sleep yeah?"

"Alright," Lavellan retracted her hands and silently followed the city elf's footsteps, her feet hovering over before stepping into the prints the over-sized boots made. Her lips curled into a smile as a childish notion swept over her, "You have big feet Sera."

"For an elf, that it?" The bitterness in the archer's tone helped Ellana decide that it was a bad idea to tease Sera in the state she was in. She refrained from losing to her anger and defensive side and merely opted to tag along in silence.

"D-do you still want the massage?"

"Nope. I can take care of it myself."

"But your shoulders..."

"Just leave me alone," Sera sighed frustratedly, "No mood for games." Lavellan worriedly looked up and down the archer, _her clothes are damp and sticking to her,_ her eyes honed in when she saw goosebumps lining along Sera's forearms. _It's a risk I'm willing to take,_ the mage braced herself and took longer strides to close the distance quickly, Sera angrily whirled around and seemed she was about to protest but didn't react quickly enough. "Ena, don't you-" Ellana wrapped her arms tightly around the city elf's shoulders and held her closely, noting the way Sera stiffened in the embrace. "Let go of me ye daft tit!"

"I said you're going to catch cold," Lavellan's temper was dwindling and her frustration made her snap, "I don't understand why you're upset, right now I don't care. Stop being stubborn and let me warm you up," she squeezed harder when the archer struggled against her and ignored her threats, instead she focused on raising her temperature. Light sizzling and steam rose from their clothes and soon the fabrics softened under the immense heat. "Is this really so bad, Sera? Is it wrong to-"

"Course it is idiot, quit playing these fucking games with me! Pretending you care, touching and driving me crazy but then not even look at me when I'm friggin' naked in front of you! How clueless can you fucking be, just how stupid are you?!" Sera saw her opening and slithered away when the mage's hold slackened then huffed, "I'm sick of this shite Ena. I'm not here for your entertainment, to answer all yer stupid questions. You don't even get how much yer really hurting me coz yer that damn stupid."

"Fenedhis! Ir isala ghilan, ma banal halani! Then-" Ellana's pride demanded respect and her defensive side lashed out, "Help me understand, you unreasonable fucking seth'lin!" Her regret crashed down instantly and her anger faltered, completely diminishing when the archer's face contorted between hurt and sadness.

"Don't get what you said," Sera turned around, "But know enough to tell that I was right. You really do act high and mighty," she walked away, "You're just like a fucking noble."

* * *

It didn't take long for the group to notice the large rift between Sera and Lavellan. And by large rift, which the group noted and wisely kept it to themselves, they saw just how far apart the two had been walking in order to keep the distance the two personally felt was still too small. Sera seemingly refused to acknowledge the dalish mage existed and Lavellan had been fed up with the city elf's attitude. "No matter what I do," Ellana breathed quietly to herself, "Something is always wrong. It's like my very existence upsets her."

"I am not surprised," the dalish mage jumped when Solas silently inched closer to her, _he heard me?_ "You represent everything she detests and challenge her fragile beliefs, but for what it's worth," he glanced at her from the corners of his eyes, "She's changed the way she behaves around you compared to when we first met her."

"How so? Any time I talk it's 'dalish piss' and whatever I do it's 'elfy shite'," Ellana missed the incredulous and surprised look Solas gave her, "I don't understand how that's any different than when we first met."

"Think about it Lethallan, you and I are not so far apart as far as Sera is concerned. Yet her and I do not converse unless absolutely necessary and even then," his face glowered with disapproval, "Well. I personally do not understand why you try so hard to earn her approval."

Lavellan's eye twitched, "She has a good heart, regardless of what you and I think. She's no doubt been through a lot in her life and we have no right to judge."

"We have also been through a lot in our lives, and yet she judges," Solas retorted. "One-sided friendships are only doomed to fail, Lethallan."

"I did not ask you for biased advice," Ellana seethed quietly, "Who I am or am not friends with is none of your concern. It's obvious you both dislike each other, I do not need your clouded judgment." She stomped away and missed when Solas sighed.

"I am concerned..." He looked back at the archer who quickly averted her heated gaze, but the way her lips curled did not go unnoticed by the apostate, "You went from being angry to defending her." He sighed when Sera poked out her tongue then made a mocking fart sound and looked at the fleeting lithe form of the dalish mage, "What do you even see in her?"

* * *

Back in Haven, Ellana had put all her focus and effort in keeping her promises: getting stronger through constant training when she was not required to set out somewhere, and to make sure there wouldn't be a repeat with innocents senselessly dying if she had any say. It's taken a long time but slowly she could see not all the humans were untrustworthy or selfish, all thanks to the Ambassador who introduced her to a select few to start. She regularly found herself knocking on Josephine's door for advice and explanations of the 'vir'shemlen' as she put it, yet still found much of it confusing just as she did now. "So if you're naked, that signifies the ultimate trust?" Lavellan leans back and stares at the ceiling, humming quietly as she absorbs the new information, _but Sera said she doesn't trust me._

"Typically yes, not everyone holds it sacred however. More often than not it does mean intimacy and trust since many feel vulnerable naked."

"But why? Everyone has the same skin, the same body." The Ambassador smiled meekly and Ellana sighed, "Every time you smile that way that means you don't have an answer," she grumbled. "Will I ever understand the vir'shemlen?"

"Don't be discouraged," Josephine softly reassured, "For years I have studied and practiced multiple forms of etiquette, and even I still do not understand people sometimes."

"Sometimes, not all the time," Lavellan looked pleadingly, "People look up to me for guidance and to lead them. How can I do that when I don't know them?" _This is so much more different than the clan._

"Follow your heart, do what you feel is right because unfortunately you'll be criticized anyways. You need not know every person here Lady Lavellan. You are a symbol of hope, and that is all the people need."

"Vhenan, huh?" Ellana clenched her fist and closed her eyes, smiling. When she extended her fingers, a small flame in the shape of a heart fluttered in her palm. "Ma serannas, for taking the time to speak with me Ambassador."

"Please call me Josephine, Lady Lavellan."

Lavellan curtsied and grinned childishly as she tested the foreign word, "Josifeen," she rushed out the door, "Call me Ellana, dareth shiral falon!" The dalish mage felt rejuvenated, a bounce to her step as she strolled down the chantry and smiled warmly to those she made eye contact with. _Ah, I forgot to ask her about the sensation,_ she looked behind her then shook her head, _I've stolen enough of her time._ She slammed her fist in her palm and grinned as small flames sputtered out, _time to train!_ As she opened the chantry doors, her eyes fell on a lone man in heavy armor that smiled politely. Her stomach twisted nervously, _I've never greeted a shem before, what should I do?_ Ellana hesitantly made way to the young man, "Andaran atish'an," she inwardly kicked herself when the man looked at her with a confused expression.

"Err, I have a message but I was directed here?" Lavellan nodded and the young man introduced himself then told her about the Chargers, "Come see us work at the storm coast, you won't be disappointed." Something about the man struck Ellana as off but she amounted it to not understanding shemlen, she bowed and agreed to do just that. _We'll need everyone we can possibly get,_ her worried coal eyes gazed at the hole in the sky, _change of plans then._ She quickly notified the Spymaster where she would be going and nervously walked down the path towards Solas, _I don't expect neither him nor Sera to come along._ She chewed on the corner of her lip, _what do I say? Should I even bother asking them? I think I'll be okay with Varric and the Seeker._

Ellana sighs and forces herself down the path, her heart drops when she makes eye contact with Solas and he merely shakes his head. Her temper wavered as the apostate turned and head inside his cabin, she opted to shout out before he disappeared, "Ir abelas!" No response, he shut the door and she sighed. _I don't understand the ways of shemlen_ _or_ _elvhen,_ she groaned inwardly and hesitantly trailed down the stairs leading to the tavern. With each step her anxiety intensified, her stomach did somersaults and the immense heat was most definitely not of her own accord. _Just go in, ask if she wants to come, get out. Simple._ She stood outside the tavern door then stepped to the side and smiled sheepishly when one of the regular patrons came by, _go in, follow him._ She waited outside and breathed shakily, _what's wrong with me? It's never been so hard to talk to her, what am I afraid of?_

Rejection.

Lavellan stilled at the sudden realization then wove her fingers through her hair, teasing out the knots as she constantly mentally chanted to just go in the tavern already. _I'll have to talk to her sooner or later,_ she nodded affirmatively and with that she forced her legs to move. However, as soon as she swung the door open and stepped inside, she froze in her spot like a halla in an arrow's path. Her eyes instantly met the razor sharp slits that narrowed at the sight of her, _why didn't I go through the other door? I forgot this is her favorite table…_ _Creators ma halani,_ she cracked each finger with her thumb as she slowly walked to the table and awkwardly sat down, across from the city elf who's glare may as well have combust into flames itself. At least Ellana knew how to deal with fire, but this?

"Uh..." The dalish mage rubbed her clammy palms together then intertwined her fingers to stop from fidgeting, "U-uh-err," _come on!_ "H-how are you?" She averted her gaze when Sera stared with an annoyed expression. "I was… I talked to someone."

"Noooo, really..." Sera drawled sarcastically, "You? Talk?"

 _Okay I deserved that,_ Lavellan winced and tried again, "He wants me to meet his boss of their company the Chargers. At the storm coast. I was wondering if maybe..." Her eyes were filled with hope as she courageously looked up at the city elf, "I-if you could come?" Ellana Lavellan, shemlen-proclaimed Herald, fearless demon roaster, and the first to undauntedly charge through enemy ranks now felt like she had shrunk as her resolve shattered under the piercing gaze. She mumbled and rubbed her palms again, "I would really like it if you come with me. You know, joke around, put arrows in demons, have fun, the usual right?"

"I do that just fine by myself," Sera leaned forward with a mischievous grin, "Give me a reason I should come with you."

"You want something?" Ellana closed her eyes and hummed thoughtfully, _she likes arrows and mead, what else does she like?_ "Hummm," _what about fire, maybe she'd like a bonfire? No I'd like that and whatever I like she doesn't like,_ the mage gave up, "I'll do anything you want."

"Anything?" The archer lifted her mug and watched Lavellan with amusement dancing in her eyes, "You sure 'bout that Lady Herald? Quite a bit o' freedom yer giving me here." _How bad could it be?_

"It's not a problem," Ellana nodded affirmatively, the tension slowly melting from her body at the prospect that the city elf might actually come along. "Anything is worth it if it means you'll be beside me," she grinned childishly and stood from the table, she didn't understand the look in Sera's eyes. "I have to go, see you at the stables in half an hour!" Sera mumbled quietly and took a swig of her mead, her lips curled into a smug smirk behind the mug.

"You always say this shit so easily..."


	7. The Subtle Crash

****Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!****

 **AN:** No elvhen in this chapter except Fenedhis and I think we all know what that one means by now. Ellana's fiery passion for fights shows it's true colors! Moral of the chapter: Don't challenge her ;)

* * *

 **The Subtle Crash**

* * *

"Creators! You're massive!"

Sera snickered quietly, "That's what she said..." Ellana looked confused at the archer then back to the towering giant before her, she could feel her blood boil with adrenaline and excitement.

"What are you? I've never seen creatures like you before," her mouth nearly watered at the prospect of training with the large giant, "Let's fight!"

"What the hell ye daft tit don't go pickin' fights with the people yer supposed to hire!"

"What did I say Krem? Told you she'd like us," the qunari's gruff chuckle vibrated Lavellan and she got even more excited. "Name's The Iron Bull and-"

"Let's fight!"

Bull exchanged glances with the mage's companions and scratched behind his horns, "Is she always like this?" He side-stepped when the mage recklessly charged at him shoulder first, "Hold on!"

"Tch, good luck," Sera scoffed, "Idiot gets like this and she stops listening. Just thwack her across her thick head she'll be fine." The Seeker groaned and face palmed while Varric immediately pulled his latest manuscript from his satchel and began to jot down notes, chuckling every time Bull dodged the mage's strikes. _Is she trying to ram the guy or something? She'll just tickle him and break her own damn shoulder._

"Pretty fast for a big guy," Ellana grinned, "When we get back to Haven you have to train me! Look Sera," she curiously poked Bull's chest, "If I get strong like him do you think demons will run away at the sight of me?"

"Weirdo," Sera chuckled, "Everyone will run the fuck away from you. And the image in my head is creepy enough for me to want to fucking run now." _I'll never get you. What's your deal, wanting to be stronger? Can't be tough when yer a friggin' mopey elfy elf._

"Good point," Lavellan's neck tensed as she looked up at the towering qunari, "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and let's go!"

"Didn't even tell me the plan," Bull bellowed out as the group groaned and simultaneously answered him.

" **She** **doesn't** **plan.** "

"Anyways!" Ellana slammed her fist in her palm then quickly jerked her head to move the wet hair clinging to her face, "Scout Harding told us about our soldiers who found bandits or something like that right? Let's go find them!" The mage began her trek and left her smirking companions trail behind her, Sera couldn't help but quietly snicker at the unusual burst of energy from Lavellan. _More than usual, anyways._ She smoothed her palm and pushed her soaked hair out of her face, _you'd think she'd be pissed with weather like this._

They clawed at the rocks to stabilize themselves and kicked into the mud to create grooves as they climbed up the steep and mucky hill, "Gross," Sera groaned, "Soaked and covered in slimy mud..." She looked up and her stomach twisted pleasantly when she noticed the mage's childish grin beam down at her, _right, she's in her fuckin' element._ "Quit smiling, not everyone likes to play in the frigging muck," _gonna suck to try and shoot like this too._ When they finally reached the top, they paused when they saw Lavellan kneeling on one knee, one hand risen and clenched in a tight fist with an unexpectedly serious look on her face. Sera sneaks to her side and follows her intense gaze, _mutts, snipers, big guys. Wonder what she's-_ when she glanced at the mage she inwardly groaned and instead looked back at the others, "Get ready folks, she's gonna-"

"Charge!" Lavellan recklessly sprints forward and steers for the snipers first, _idiot, yer gonna get surrounded!_ Cassandra and Bull rush forth to keep up with the mage as Sera and Varric focus on the mabari hounds threatening to close in on Ellana. _Gonna give us a fucking heart attack, blindly going in the way you do,_ Sera gritted her teeth and cursed when her mud-caked hand had trouble gripping the bow and drawing the string, _even I ain't as fucking stupid!_ Her heart leaps to her throat and she momentarily freezes, one bandit had closed the distance and was about to flank the mage with his weapon.

"Ena!" Sera croaked out and reached for an arrow, but she was too late. She watched as the sword slashed down in slow motion and closed her eyes as an agonizing wail tore through the air. _The hell is wrong with me, why did I freeze?!_

"Now you've really gone and pissed us off," Varric remarked as he cocked a bolt in the chamber and aimed for another mabari hound, the clean shot ripped right through it's head and sank into the bandit's leg. Ellana whirled around angrily with one arm hanging limp and her good hand had flames circling her forearm. She extended her hand and tightly clenched her fist, detonating one of the glyphs primed beneath a nearby sniper before letting loose and driving her fist repeatedly in the injured bandit's face. The sickening crunches as the heat chewed away his flesh was too much for the archer to watch and she averted her gaze, the group wisely remained silent as the dalish mage unleashed her revenge on the now-dead man. Bull was the only one smirking and quietly cheering every time Ellana punched the bandit's nose. _There's hardly anything left, gross..._

"Fenedhis!" Lavellan hissed and stomped to one of the nearby cabins, resting her palm on the door and blowing it away with a burst of explosive heat, "This really stings," she looked behind her pleadingly, "Sera can you stitch it up?" The archer sighed as she followed close behind and inspected the diagonal gash running from the corner of the shoulder down to the ends of the shoulder blade.

"Fuckin' huge cut," Sera glared behind her, "Eyes off guys, Ena lose the shirt and bite down on it. Now you know why it's a bad idea to go blazing off on yer fuckin' own, idiot. Wait for us next time."

"Yeah, yeah," Lavellan mumbled guiltily and inhaled sharply when she attempted to raise her shoulder to remove the armor, "Need help getting all this off."

"For what it's worth Boss," Bull spoke outside the cabin and leaned against the wall, "That was really badass. Didn't expect a tiny thing like you to charge in like that."

"Don't encourage her!" Sera groaned at the mage's proud grin, "Fulla fuckin' surprises aren'tcha..." The archer untied all the buckles then bunched up the ends of the shirt and gently helped Ellana pull it over her head and down the injured arm. Next they wrestled with the chain-link armor underneath, "This didn't even do fuck all to help."

"I can tell," Lavellan gritted out, "Last time I'm trusting a shem with my armor..."

"Told ya, you trust ye get burned," _or chopped up anyway._ Sera smirked at the triumphant feeling that she was right, but her victory was short-lived when the heat gradually rose, _woops now's a bad time to piss 'er off._ "Might as well ditch it so it won't weigh you down or fuck with the stitches, just keep the shirt." The damaged tissue seemed as angry as the mage minutes ago, "What happened to learning healing-whatever with Baldy?" Ellana simply shook her head and her shoulders sank, the city elf took out her tools and would ask Ellana to heat them up whenever she needed them, forcing the nausea to stay down when she'd feel the flames lick her fingers, _even that don't feel right._

As the adrenaline faded, both glanced at the Seeker who solemnly walked around the cabin, it was then the strong smell of decaying flesh smothered Sera and she pinched her nose, "Eww the hell is that?" The mage tensed under her hands and she could hear Lavellan's teeth scrape when her jaw clenched. The heat in the cabin intensified and Cassandra turned around, a sad look in her eyes. _Oh shit._

"The Inquisition soldiers..."

 _Not good,_ Sera desperately squeezed the mage's good shoulder in reassurance, "You need to calm down before ya lose it luv. After we fix you up we'll find the baddies and I'll stuff arrows in all their arses, then you can blow 'em up. Sounds good yeah?" _She's gonna explode,_ the archer sighed, _why the fuck am I babysitting her anyways? If she wanna go die then go friggin' die._ Lavellan clenched her fists and inhaled sharply.

"Stitch," she forced out, "Fast as you can don't worry about it hurting," _is she nuts?!_ "Unforgivable," she muttered, "What did they do, huh?"

"Wrong place, wrong time," Sera mumbled, "All the more reason to roast the fuckers alive right?" _She better not make a habit of me stitching her up all the fuckin' time though._

"Right," Ellana hadn't whimpered when she felt the archer poke and thread, all she could think of was getting revenge for the soldiers and the longer she sat waiting for the city elf to finish, the more impatient she grew. Her rage demanded vengeance, her morals demanded justice, her promises demanded to be fulfilled. "They were somebody's family," she whispered so quietly Sera had a hard time hearing her, "Somebody's best friend..." _Bastards are gonna get it comin' for making Ena mopey._

Cassandra sifted through one of the nearby pages and gingerly inspected the pendant stuffed between the sheets, "It looks like we can challenge their leader if we wear this necklace."

"Heh," Sera scoffed, "Blades and their 'challenges', biggest sword wins."

"A one on one with the leader?" _Oh great, here we go._ Sera could  hear the grin on the mage's face, "Give me that necklace. The chance to make that bastard pay is mine."

"You'll get killed ye daft tit," the archer chided, "First of all, he'll play dirty especially with your bleeding shoulder. Second of all a challenge means a duel, and you dunno how to fuckin' duel now do you?"

"What's duel mean?"

"Point proven," Sera sighed irritatedly, "I say we go in there, make the whole place go tits up in flames and-"

"No. I'm fighting the leader by myself, end of story." _You and your fucking fights! This isn't for the soldiers, this is for you!_

"I approve Boss," Bull smirked when he peered inside only to find the city elf glare at him, "If anything goes wrong you still got us at your back."

"Yeah look how well that turned out genius," Sera drawled sarcastically and severed the thread with her teeth then tied the knot. "Finished. Get hurt again and yer on your friggin' own. Try not to rip the stitches," despite the anger, the archer couldn't help but feel worried. _I'm all for a good fight and getting back at people, but not if I'm gonna die for it._ With her help the mage gently slid the thin shirt on, _if you can call it a shirt,_ and then worked on the buckles. Her eyes occasionally fell on the fresh wound until they would subconsciously trail lower, lingering on the swell of breasts peering out the side. At that, she tightened the waist buckle even more and ignored the mage's protest, "This thing flaps open, everyone gonna see ye practically topless, idiot."

"I don't ca-"

"I do." Lavellan fell silent and Sera inwardly cheered, _finally she shuts up._ "All set, let's go."

"Alright!" The mage stood up with renewed vigor and tested her limitations with the shoulder, wincing when the stinging would get really bad and the color visibly drained from her face each time. Despite the pain, she grinned when she managed to slam her fist into her palm, "Time to go smoke them." _No seriously, how can she smile when she's in that much pain? That ain't right, she's so friggin' weird._

"You can't smoke people Boss," Bull peered into the cabin and smirked, "You can roast 'em, cook them, blow them up, explode, burn them-"

"Okay I got it!" Ellana huffed and her shoulders sank, "I can do lots of things but smoke them. Anyways let's go say hello to our new friends, shall we?" She pulled on the small scarf to loosen it up a little and gestured to Cassandra with her head as she looked at the necklace. The Seeker also looked concerned as she fastened the pendant to the eager mage, and Lavellan smiled reassuringly, "I'll be alright, I've been training ever since we got back from the Hinterlands before. Not just my magic either," _won't be enough ye daft tit…_ When Ellana looked at the corpses, her anger resurfaced and she stormed out of the cabin, her steps hastened as soon as they were able to see the enemy camp from atop the hill.

The rest of the group lingered behind, struggling to safely make it down the hill with the pouring rain hindering their vision and the muck that was difficult to maneuver. "Now I know why Thorns walks bare foot," Varric chuckled, "Harder to pull out with-"

"That's what she said!" Sera grinned and pushed the hair sticking to her face out of the way, "Ena! Wait for us!" The mage hadn't slowed down one bit and the group grumbled simultaneously.

" **Figures she wouldn't listen.** "

"Will the Herald really be alright?" Cassandra squeezed the pommel of her sword, ready to unsheathe it at any time.

"From what I seen so far, Boss can handle herself pretty damn good," Bull remarked.

"So good she turned into chopped liver," Sera grumbled.

"Can't go into battle and walk away scotch-free every time no matter how you fight," Bull pointed to his chest then eye, "Besides, she seems okay and people dig scars."

"Did you see the look on her face Tiny?" Varric too joined the worried group, "She raises her shoulder a little and she's ready to pass out…"

"Think you guys need to have a little faith in your Herald," Bull grinned, "After all, if she wants to fight a fucking qunari willingly then someone with balls like that is bound to be able to wreck havoc."

"That's coz she's got flames for brains," Sera explained, "And she jumps at anything that's bigger than her."

"Well then it's a good thing she's the one fighting the hole in the sky, don't you think?" The companions exchanged smirks and nodded, after they finally cleared the hill they rushed over to the entrance of the camp and were surprised to see that Lavellan had actually waited for them.

"I was honestly expecting you to forget about the duel and set this place on fire," Varric joked but his lips immediately sealed shut when the mage's smoldering eyes fell on him. "Right, time to knock?" They looked at the two guards who gave each other unsure looks then opened up the doors, whispering to themselves.

"That tiny elf? She's insane," one of the guards whispered and Sera could feel her anxiety ramp up, "Nobody's challenged him and live..." Sera looked at the mage's lithe back as they wove through the crowd, the injured side slumped lower than her good shoulder. _Why the fuck are you doing this Ena? We can put all these bastards down and be done with it._ She slid her thumb along her bowstring as she scanned the camp and glared menacingly at the others, _try anything funny, they all get arrows in their fucking arses._

"Holy mother of fucking tall..." Sera trailed off as her eyes went up the leader and she muttered behind the mage, "Ena he's two fucking times taller than you! Let's just sack this place and go." She sighed when she could hear the mage's grin again, _right, that's only going to make her excited. One hit and it's all over for her._ Ellana outstretched her hand behind her and gestured to her companions with her head, they moved a couple meters back to give them space. "Fine, go fuckin' die see if I care..." Sera mumbled quietly and eyed the hounds sitting near their master, _one way to play dirty,_ then the others surrounding them in a circle, _second way to play dirty._ She began to search the camp and noted spots that would be good to shoot from or escape should she needed to, her attention was brought to the tall leader who's booming laughter vibrated the air. _He's definitely going to fight dirty, can see it in his eyes. Friggin' clueless tit won't see that though._ Sera thumbed her bowstring again, hands ready to reach into her quiver and start stuffing arrows in her enemies.

As soon as the leader's laughter died down, he stood from his throne and crossed his arms, his amused eyes looking up and down the battered mage. "Is this a joke? You want to challenge me?"

"I'm here to teach you a lesson," Lavellan cracked her knuckles, "You get to experience first hand what it's like to cross the Inquisition. You'll pay for those soldiers' lives."

"Hah! As if-"

"Enough talk!" Sera chuckled quietly, _he hardly talked Ena..._ Ellana quickly swung her good arm out to the side and moments later a large circle of flame surrounded them and kept the others out. The hounds whined and backed away, Sera smirked with pride, _she figured it out huh?_ Bull lightly nudged her and mouthed 'I told you so', she rolled her eyes and reluctantly nodded her head, _yeah, yeah…_ The barrier of fire flickered as the harsh storm beat down harder, yet it still burned bright and hot, _this is the worst place for her to fight._ Lavellan rushed forward and the leader reached down on the ground, Sera panicked.

"Ena! Your eyes!" _That mother fucker! How low can he go?!_ Bull laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder, _it's not just faith anymore, you don't know what she's like!_

Before the leader had the chance to grab and toss the dirt however, Ellana rose her good arm and grinned as chaotic flames swirled around then drove her hand in the ground, a small puff of fire blew up in the leader's face and with it, dirt that flew in his eyes. He yelped and rubbed his face in an attempt to sooth the burn and get rid of the dirt, feet stumbling back to try and create distance between him and the mage. "I can fight dirty too!" When Ellana neared she ducked and lost her footing on the slippery mud, though it served to save her when the leader blindly swung his sword her way. She gritted her teeth as her bad arm instinctively reached out to break her fall on the ground and used the momentum to slide further, ending up behind the large man. _You're too fucking close, get the hell away from there!_

The crowd surrounding the companions had increasingly grown agitated and Sera glared at them, _if she dies, it's all over for us too. Won't make it out of here without losing a fuckin' limb I bet._ A gruff shout brought her attention back to the fight and she laughed, _she wasn't kidding when she said she could fight dirty._ Lavellan was behind the leader still, she grabbed the man's elbow with her good hand and reached for the haft with her other, moving and shifting behind whenever the leader tried to turn around. He cursed when the haft became too hot to grip and let go of his weapon, he attempted to kick behind him and Ellana instead jumped up, balancing on his calf before he retracted his leg. _She's having too much fucking fun with this._

"If you ask me," Bull rose his voice so that everyone could hear him, "I'd say the big guy just fucked himself over. It's Boss's win." He grinned when the crowd exchanged unsure yet hopeful whispers, _none of these tits like the guy huh?_ The barrier of flame had begun to die down a little and when Sera squinted, she could see the sweat that trickled down Ellana's pale face, _oh fuck._ The others noticed too and she glanced worriedly at them, each of their eyes conveying one thing only.

 ** _Get ready to fight._**

 _Come on Ena, quit playing and kill the bastard,_ Sera chewed on the corner of her lip, _all you gotta do is burn him alive. The fuck are you waiting for?_ Lavellan lost her grip on the man's elbow and immediately ducked out of the way when he whirled around, she quickly picked up his weapon and tossed it into what was left of the weakened ring of fire. Sera could hear her mutter something, _don't get it, must be her elfy shite. Curses, I bet._ The leader laughed cockily, "I don't need my weapon, little girl. I'll tear you apart with my hands!"

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Ellana grinned tiredly and quickly smoothed her hair out of her face, the storm had made everything difficult. She glanced down at her fists and cursed quietly, light steam rose from her fists but nothing else. _Oh fuck,_ Sera groaned, _she can't make fire anymore?!_

"Ena! Let-"

"I've got this," Lavellan looked behind her and glared sternly at the archer, "I said I'm fighting, end of story."

"This ain't fun and games Ena!"

"Who said it was?!" The steam rose from the mage's body and was predominantly easier to see even as the rain poured down, Sera smirked when an idea hit her head.

"I did! It's obvious that yer just dicking around luv. Here you are playing tag with some tall ass mother fucker while there are people lying face first in the fuckin' muck! Those are-" Sera braced herself in case if this backfired, "Somebody's best friend! Which we won't be if you keep playing!"

"What is the meaning of this Sera," Cassandra hissed and the city elf simply ignored her, _take that, Ena._

"I am not," Lavellan gritted her teeth and deftly caught the leader's punch in her hands, her grip tightened and the man fell on his knees, pleading for mercy as the steam chewed on his flesh, "Playing!" She whirled around and her flames burst into life, engulfing the leader's hand and traveling up his arm. She let go and shuffled back a couple steps, slamming her fist into the ground and conjuring a large pillar of fire that effectively swallowed the screaming man. Sera grinned with pride, _looks like getting a rise outta her worked. Lucky._

"What… Just happened?" Cassandra stood dumbfounded, "We all saw that she couldn't..."

Varric chuckled, "Looks like there's a good reason to piss her off now. Except Buttercup can handle that, I'd like to stay alive and not roasty toasty."

When Ellana extinguished the circle and left the charred man on the ground, she stormed towards the archer who grinned smugly the entire time. "I wasn't playing," she gritted her teeth, "It wasn't just for a fun fight, one man-"

"Relax luv, I know."

"I condemn one man so that there needn't be senseless slaughter with the fools forced to follow him. I-"

"Said relax. I gotcha angry on purpose." Sera desperately tried not to laugh as the mage instantly froze with a confused expression. _Love that look._ "Couldn't make any more fire right? So I pissed you off."

"Y-you..." Sera couldn't decipher the mage's look, _mopey? Happy?_ She grunted at the sudden impact and crushing embrace, the heat radiating off the mage made her feel dizzy, "I knew you'd care if I'd die." _She heard that huh?_

"Don't care if you do or don't," the archer felt increasingly lightheaded at their proximity, and her stomach twisted pleasantly at Lavellan's radiant smile.

"That's okay. I'll always care for you whether you like it or not," her grin grew when Sera sighed frustratedly.

"This an elfy elf thing? Annoy people even if they don't want you 'round?"

"It's a me thing," Ellana turned around and began to walk away, "And a you thing."

 _Me and you, huh?_ Sera's lips curled into a soft smile, _in your dreams..._

* * *

True to her word, as soon as they got back in Haven Ellana sought out the healers and alchemists for her shoulder and immediately started harassing Bull to train her. Sera increasingly became agitated as of late with the conflicting feelings inside her, she had found herself wanting the mage's company and got frustrated at this. _First when she was alone she bugged me all the time but now she casts me to the side just like that? No way,_ she lifted her mug and downed half the mead in one go, _for all her talk about friends and family she sure forgets them real fast…_ She ordered another from Flissa and instead took the mug with her outside, the tavern reminded her too much of Ellana now. _Why the hell is she obsessed with getting stronger? We gotta fix the friggin' hole in the sky._ She shivered as the chilling wind bit her down to the bone and mentally kicked herself when the first urge was to seek warmth.

From a certain mage.

 _Ugh,_ Sera stomped down towards Lavellan's cabin knowing that the dalish elf was with Bull, _this is getting fuckin' annoying. Can't depend on nobody but yerself idiot, you know that better than anyone else._ Without knocking or any sort of hesitation she strolled into the cabin, _she doesn't even lock her fucking door, trusts way too damn much._ "What in the..." The archer nearly dropped her mug and her mouth hung open, her brain desperately tried to make sense at the sight before her. Ellana was in front of her.

Upside down.

"The fuck are you doing, Ena?" Sera's eyes trailed up and saw that the mage had hooked her legs around the beam, "Can't climb trees so you climb the fuckin' rafters?"

"B-Bull," Ellana wheezed as she brought her body up, hands folded behind her head, "Showed- _ck_ -me this." Her breath escaped her as she went back down and hung loosely in the air, her hair swaying to and fro as her chest heaved for oxygen. _Her face is red,_ Sera noted with amusement as she watched the mage struggle with the next crunch.

"Yer gonna explode your brains if you stay upside down for too long, if there's anything left to explode anyways." The city elf walked over and sat on the corner-bed, "What the hell's this got to do with getting stronger? Mean yeah you'll get abs of steel but-"

"Mind and body," Lavellan gritted out and swung back down, "Body and mind, that's what Bull said anyway." She slackened her hold on the beam and gracefully broke her fall with a fluid roll, standing up and stretching her neck left and right. _Acting as if nothin' happened._ "If my fire fails like it did on the storm coast, I can still fight. This also helps me strengthen my magic too," the mage grinned childishly, "And with all the traveling we do, it helps to not want to sleep just by looking at the Hinterlands." Sera tensed when the mage's face contorted into a concerned expression, "You're cold."

"I'm fine."

"Sera," Ellana walked and sat on the bed beside her, "I can tell without looking at you." She closed her eyes and focused on raising her temperature and the archer couldn't help but blurt out the nagging question.

"How?"

"Easy, well I don't really get it but," Lavellan opened her eyes and grinned at the city elf, "Your heat feels different so it's easy to… Feel it. Which I don't, which means you're cold and-" she reached over and pointed at Sera's exposed forearms, "Can't say you're not when you're being attacked by goose bumps too."

 _T-this tit,_ Sera's mouth hung loosely, _she don't even get what she's saying!_ "Just shut up and warm me up weirdo..." A dull ache settled in between her legs and she inwardly groaned, _'_ _ _h__ _eat' feels different alright._ She opted to distract herself with the next question bouncing in her mind, "Hey Ena."

"Mm?"

"Why do you want to get stronger? It's all you ever think about now and..." Sera quietly breathed, "We don't hang out anymore."

"To protect you of course," Lavellan smiled warmly when the archer's eyes snapped to hers, "I promised you I'd get stronger, remember? I try really hard to keep my promises. Keeper taught me once that when you have someone special, you do everything in your power to keep them safe." Her smile grew into a large childish grin, "I know you can handle yourself but you're my best buddy. You're special to me. I want to be there for you just as you are there for me." _Now I feel like a dick for thinking she forgot 'bout me._

Throat dry and raw, Sera couldn't find it in her to speak and she got frustrated at the mushy feelings she felt inside. She's been desperately trying to squash them, obliterate them, and yet still she found herself drawn to the hopeless hope that maybe, just maybe it wasn't so bad to listen to them. _Just this once, maybe it won't be so bad._ She leaned against Ellana's shoulder and looked down at the mead in her mug as she whispered, "What do you see that makes you stay? Always push you away." She felt the mage give a sort of half-shrug.

"Drawn to your fire?"

"I'm serious ye daft tit."

"I am too," Lavellan chuckled softly, "There is a small flame that flickers in you despite the darkness choking you. It's a flame I've never seen or felt before and like a moth I'm drawn to it. You light me up, something I've not felt since…" She trailed off sadly.

"Make sense already. I don't speak fancy elfy rubbish."

"You re-kindled my fire," she grinned when the archer glared at her warningly, "You've reminded me what I've forgotten long ago. What it means to live." Sera stilled and stole a peek from the corner of her eye, _you always say this shit_ _too_ _damn easily…_ "I couldn't have asked for a better friend, especially one who becomes my fire when mine dies out," she chuckled, "Like at the Storm Coast."

"Bloody brilliant wasn't it," Sera remarked as she tried to ignore the fact her stomach buzzed incredibly strong, "I'm the best damn friend, can't find nobody better. Should pay me extra." _Getting hard to breathe in here, got to be her fault._ She finished the rest of her mead and bent down to place the mug on the floor, seeing that the night table had been cluttered with random metal objects that had black edges. _Is she trying to burn metal? What the hell for?_

"Speaking of pay, I believe I owe you since you agreed to come along, remember?" Lavellan rose from the bed then knelt in front of Sera, an amused childish glee swept her features as she bowed and touched her head to the floor. "What would you ask of me, O Great One?"

"Shut up and get up from the floor ye daft tit," Sera laughed, "Dunno what I want you to do yet. There's so many things and only one to-"

"I can do more than one. I owe you my life as well, so that's two."

"Didn't I say to be careful with the freedom you give me luv?" Sera grinned evilly at the clueless expression, _love that look… Think, what's the first that comes to mind?_ She inwardly groaned and the ache intensified when images of the dalish woman naked surfaced to the forefront of her mind, _no. I won't be like_ _her_ _, I won't take advantage of Ena. She doesn't understand what frigging means either. Something I want that's still harmless…_ Her eyes danced mischievously, _even she should know this,_ she waggled her finger in a 'come here' motion and casually leaned back on the bed on her elbows. Lavellan hesitantly came closer with a look of curiosity in her eyes, the shadows covered her and all Sera could see were the bright amber specks hidden in the coal eyes. _Let's see how well she keeps her promises, bet she won't do this though. Ain't no way_ _if_ _she got half a brain that ain't flame._

"Kiss me."


	8. This is How it's Done

**Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!**

 **AN** **:** I know there have been a lot of arguments and misunderstandings between Sera and Lavellan, sometimes I wonder if it'd be even harder for Sera to be honest when it comes to her feelings for the Dalish Herald given both their histories and personalities. Give these two a chance, you can't suddenly understand/explain everything when you're in the heat of the moment and tension is running high! They're getting there at their own pace :) When you see a 7 instead of the actual arrow key, it's because fanfiction for whatever reason does not allow the use of the arrow key (you'll understand what I mean when you get confused at what you read :P)

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _What Sera attempts to repeat is meant to remain obscured but many of you will most likely know what was meant :)_

 _Ir isala ghilan:_ I [am in] need [of] guidance

 _Fenedhis:_ common curse, 'wolf dick'

* * *

 **This is How it's Done**

* * *

"Okay."

 _YES!_ Wait.

 _What?_

Sera's eyes widened as the mage shrugged and nonchalantly bent over, propping her hands on either side of Sera's head, _she_ _does_ _know what it means right?! And she's_ _okay_ _with it?! WHAT THE FUCK!_ "W-wait Ena I was just kidding and-"

"It's not a problem. Promise is a promise, and I try my best to keep my promises."

"I don't want to force you, stop ye daft tit I was joking!" Muscles frozen, Sera couldn't even forcibly move. Her breathing became shallow and rapid, the whole cabin seemed to have turned into a sauna. Of all the pranks that unexpectedly backfired on her, this would be ranked number one on Sera's list. _Why the fuck am I nervou_ _s_ _?_ "E-Ena…!" She choked out and shut her eyes as the mage hovered closer, _she's got to be joking, maybe she could tell I was and this is her revenge, got to be it._

"You're not forcing me to do anything Sera," the raspy timbre sent the heat straight to the pits of Sera's stomach and she desperately needed to soothe the burning ache that tempted her. "I've been wanting to do this back to you." _She wants to…?_ The revenge idea was thrown out the window when she could feel hot and even breaths tickle her nose, _she's really serious, serious 'bout being serious, the mother of all seriousness. Holy…_ _Shit_ _._ The wild torrent of emotions churned her stomach and she felt as though she was stuck in the middle of the sea during a raging storm.

One part of her wanted the dalish mage to kiss her senseless, the other wanted to snap in frustration for the entire situation and the doubts it conjured within her. _What the hell am I, a brat going through puberty?_ She wanted to open her eyes and see why Lavellan was taking so long, _maybe she's shy? Nervous_ _too_ _?_ The bitter anger began to boil her blood, _probly coz she's 'bout to kiss a_ _flat_ _ear and not an elfy elf._ Before she lost control of her temper, she felt a soft and warm pressure against her forehead and the heat spread, coursing throughout her slackened body. Overwhelming disappointment crashed down on her and her eyes snapped open in rage, the proximity of the mage's face only spurred on the wildfire within her. "Are you serious right now Ena," she muttered dangerously and the dalish woman parted, a confused look on her face. _So she didn't actually know. I should've fucking known._

"Yes?" Lavellan tilted her head, "Your fire feels..." Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration, "A mixture of anger and something else but I don't know what. Why are you upset?"

"What the fuck does a kiss mean to you? Where did you learn it?"

"Oh, I often did this with the children. They insisted a kiss on a head would help them sleep," she chuckled softly and her eyes looked distant, "Along with a lullaby sung to them. It was they who taught me this," she smiled with pride, "I learned more from my clan mates than the books Keeper wanted me to read." Sera exhaled shakily as she fought for control and patience, _should have known, you should have fucking known. Don't blow up, you really shoulda fuckin' known about this idiot. What did you expect?_ "I forgot all about it until you reminded me the first time you did it, even if it was an accident."

"Looks like they didn't teach you much if I'm stuck teaching you everything," Sera angrily spat out yet refrained from saying even worse and the look of hurt in the smoldering coal eyes tested her brittle boundary. "Just get offa me already."

"No."

"Seriously Ena, now is really not a good time to be fucking stubborn."

"I don't care," Lavellan leaned down again and buried her nose in the crook of Sera's neck. The archer tensed as hard as a rock when she felt the mage's soft skin rub and poke along her neck, she resisted the urge to laugh when it tickled.

"What the fuck," her throat was caught in between a choke and a squeak at another tickle, "A-are you doing?! Get-"

"Isn't it obvious? Smelling you."

"Don't smell me then!"

"I'm trying to figure out why you're upset."

"You can't do that by smelling, bloody weirdo!" _She's always fuckin' insane, I don't get her!_

"Yes I can," Ellana propped herself up and her firebrand hair splayed around, stray locks brushed and tickled the city elf's nose. "Your fire, remember?"

"I'm not fire, and I'm not on fire!" Sera groaned at the childish grin that rapidly spread across the elven woman's face, _great, here we go again._

"Yes you are, you just can't see it."

"That so? Fine I'll bite, what's my fire smell like then, smartass?"

"Wild," Ellana smiled sincerely, "Free. That's my favorite thing." _I don't feel free._

"I thought your favorite thing was fire?"

"Especially yours," Lavellan leaned down again and the archer wasn't sure how much longer she could keep herself from the jumping on the mage, it didn't help when the warm breaths tickled her neck again. "Purity."

"Pfft, I ain't pure that's for damn sure," Sera chuckled huskily and bit back a moan when the dalish elf exhaled shakily. _Especially now._

"Life, spirit, safe," Ellana ranted everything she could think of when she inhaled again, "Yet also death, disheartened, insecure. You've been betrayed and burnt multiple times, consumed by your own fire." _I don't get this rubbish,_ Sera chewed her lip and nervously glanced down, her heart thundered erratically at the sight of the firebrand hair tickling her chin. "Yet still you hope, you reach out, you don't give up. You try one more time."

"T-that isn't..." Sera swallowed the thick lump in her throat, "That's got nothing to do with smell." At that, she was acutely sensitive and was smothered by the mage's scent, _ashes, wood and smoke, warm..._

"Not body odor or sweat," Lavellan propped herself up and the archer inwardly thanked for the distance, "Soul."

"Wait, wait, wait… Let me get this straight. You did all that to sniff," Sera's eyebrow rose skeptically, "My soul? Are you friggin' jerking me around right now?" Her temper flared, "Is there a fuckin' limit to how elfy elf you can be or what? You can't smell souls, quit being fucking creepy and weird. Get offa me already," _she was on a roll too, had to go friggin' blow it up as usual._ "Just yer friggin' head making you hope and make up random shite about fire when there is none."

Lavellan sighed and complied with the archer's wishes as she reluctantly clambered off, "You see what you want to see."

"Exactly and all you wanna see is fire."

"You can too, everyone could if they tried. Everyone has fire in their soul to a certain degree, each one shines differently." The city elf ignored when Ellana extended her hand as a gesture to help and pushed herself off the bed, rubbing her numb elbows to bring sensation back.

"Quit kidding yerself Ena, come back to reality. Having your head crammed up in the clouds isn't gonna do fuck all."

"Will you stop avoiding the actual problem Sera? If I'm wrong then just tell me what's right, guide me, teach me. Tell me why you're really upset with me, not these excuses and insults. I may not be the brightest but I'm very well acquainted with anger, too well according to some. I can h-"

"Why do you wanna know huh? Think I can be fixed? Think you're gonna be the one to fix me?"

"W-wha… I never said…?"

"Well too fucking bad, you can't! Can't convert me, can't fix me, can't do fuck all Ena! Why? Coz yer fuckin' clueless! I try to remember that yer innocent, weren't taught any better or a whole lot at all." Sera stomped towards the mage and shoved her out of the rising anger clouding her mind, "Even a fucking idiot could see what the hell's wrong, don't know what the hell you are if you can't. Idiots still have a brain, you don't even have that."

"Is it so hard," Lavellan clenched her fists and her jaw tensed, she averted her gaze to the floor, "To just tell me? Open up to me? Surely by now you can trust me, surely by now I've proven myself worthy? Can we both not reach an understanding, a middle-ground?" Her voice cracked and with each word spoken, the fire in her eyes flickered and gradually died out as if she expected what came next, "Forget it, just tell me what you want. I owe you twice."

Without missing a beat Sera crossed her arms and her eyes narrowed angrily, "Get out." The dalish mage didn't waste any time complying and masked the hurt as best she could. She lingered at the doorway and softly whispered, when the door clicked shut Sera's legs lost their strength and she slumped to the floor. Her heart squeezed painfully and she felt incredibly bitter at everything right now, the elven woman, herself, nobles and the hole in the sky. Everything she bottled up and tried to keep at bay came flooding like a dam that gave way to the building pressure. Her fingers brushed the still-warm spot Lavellan had kissed on her forehead and repeated the mage's words quietly, "Mah new veen in, mah veh none are a…?" Oddly enough, she felt familiar warmth and comfort from those words, and unexpectedly felt calm rather than anger.

* * *

Lavellan stormed off outside of the gates and went to the large frozen lake, her fury-addled mind tuned out the concerned voices that called out to her. There was only one way to release her pent up emotions, and she sorely needed to blow off the steam soon lest she accidentally explode on some poor soul who happened to get in the way of her wrath. _Good training,_ she reasoned to herself to sate her troubled conscience, _time to see how strong I've gotten._ She hopped down the small cliff and slid along the ice to the center of the lake, and blind to the possible repercussions she rose her fist in the air.

Chaotic flames swirled around and carried a mixture of different colors: crimson, gold and amber. _Why can't she just tell me?_ Ellana drove her fist into the ice and her anger flared when it had no effect, _just like her._ She reeled her hand back then used the momentum to punch, still nothing happened. _Even with my best efforts, no matter how hard I try, nothing. She won't trust me. Why?!_ Memories and chastising voices she had no control over flooded her mind, and with each one she repeatedly drove her fist in the ice in a desperate attempt to extinguish the hungry wrath consuming her.

 ** _You represent everything she detests._**

"All this just because I was born a dalish!"

 ** _You dunno nothing Ena,_** ** _nothing_** ** _._**

"I at least know that! Ir isala ghilan!"

 ** _How clueless can you fucking be, just how stupid_** ** _are_** ** _you?!_**

"Shut up, it's not my fault! You don't know everything either!"

 ** _You don't even get how much yer really hurting me coz yer that damn_** ** _stupid._**

"Then tell me what I'm doing wrong! I won't know otherwise!"

 ** _You're just like a fucking noble._**

 _Herald!_ "Yeah like you're a fucking angel!"

 ** _One-sided friendships are only doomed to fail._**

"Creators, starting to see the wisdom in that..." _Herald!_

 ** _Go fuckin' die see if I care._**

"Fenedhis! Maybe I will!"

"Herald!"

"WHAT?!" Lavellan whirled around and was confused to see the Seeker along with a few others shouting from the edge of the frozen lake, a look of concern and panic etched on their faces. A crack shot below her and her eyes snapped to the ice that now looked more like an intricate spider web, she felt the weight shift and rumble as the cracks expanded. "OH F-" the ice gave way and before she was completely submerged under water she slammed her forehead against the jagged edge and blacked out.

* * *

"Really? You haven't checked on her?"

"What for? Me staring at her ain't gonna make that ugly cut heal faster, and it's not like she'll grow back brains she never had in the first place."

"Ain't fooling anybody," Bull replied and lifted the mug to his lips, "It's obvious you're worried about her. She's holding up alright, it'll help you if you go see that for yourself."

"Ugh yer just not gonna leave me the fuck alone are you? I can't even drink in peace anymore."

"Hah! Peace? Here?" Bull leaned forward and grinned mischievously, "Bet you haven't known peace ever since you bagged the Boss."

"Ain't like that smartass, haven't shagged that daft tit. She don't even know what a fucking kiss is."

"Wait… Seriously?" The qunari scratched his stubble when Sera stared at him with a dull and bored expression, almost as if she was trying to say 'you really are an idiot'. "Well… Shit. You have my sympathies. For what it's worth, good luck."

Sera scoffed, "Don't need yer pity, and don't need luck. Ain't interested in her one bit. She can go frolick with Baldy for all I care. They're practically made for each other, both stupid elfy elves."

"Ya don't mean that."

"And what do you know, huh? You don't know me, and you don't know her," the archer downed the rest of her mug and stood from the table, "Now drop it and get off. Already said I don't fucking care." Sera stormed out the tavern and gritted her teeth, she kicked up the snow and crossed her arms to tuck her cold hands against her ribs. Her temper flared at the urge for warmth and she chewed the corner of her lip, _why'd ya go and be stupid again?_ Wandering aimlessly around camp it didn't take long before she found herself in front of the mage's cabin, _not worried, just cold. Her fireplace is always lit._ She enters without knocking and ignores the limp body that now took permanent residence in the corner-bed, strolling straight to the fire. Kneeling and stretching out her hands, she steals a glance before looking back at the fire. _Ain't the same warmth…_ "Had lots of time to think. Surprise right? Me and you, thinking? What a joke." She bit her lip, "Now I'm talking when you can't even hear me, so fuckin' lame."

Sera sighed and went back to the door, her hand lingered on the handle. Instead of leaving, she does up all the locks and reluctantly walks to the mage, sitting on the floor beside her. "Wake up and tell me it's not a problem," she whispered, "Wake up and yell. Be an idiot, anything, even elfy. It's boring now that yer sleeping all the time. Pranks don't do shite coz everyone's mopey that yer sleeping, bet it's coz it's boring for them too. The village idiot ain't there to make an ass of herself and cheer them up." Sera rubbed her palms and fidgeted nervously, "It's been three days. Hurry the fuck up, can't be stuck in dream land forever yeah? It that good or somethin'? Coz I can do it b-" _w_ _hat am I thinking?_ She shook her head and mumbled, "I'm sorry yeah? I can't just flip a switch and be a picture of trust, like you. Yer weird and scary, but I still like you. A lot. Like-like you," _easier to talk 'bout this when she's out like a light. And she's not attacking me with all sorts of fuckin' questions,_ though she's admitted she's missed those too lately.

"Don't get why, though. I don't want to, 'specially you. You keep asking me stuff that I got no answers to, and you won't shut up until you have one. Don't know how I can get it through yer thick head either, coz even if I told you I bet you wouldn't get it. I mean for crying loud, you don't even know what the fuck a kiss is, who the hell doesn't know what a kiss is? Only you..." Sera smiles softly and leans forward, gently pressing her lips against the new scar on the mage's forehead. "Only you weirdo," she whispered with a hint of affection she hadn't know she was capable of.

"And what's with this pajama shite they got you all dressed up in? As if yer not weird enough. They gonna choke ya like this," Sera began to unbutton the tight collar and her fingers trembled slightly as they got lower and lower. She stopped just before she could see the top of Lavellan's breasts and let out a shaky sigh. She reluctantly withdrew her hands and tightly clenched them as they rested on her knees, "Wake up already..."

 _So we can be a me thing and a you thing._

"I'm bored outta my mind."

 _And always cold._

"No baddies to put arrows in."

 _No stitches, no singing._

"At least piss me off with yer elfy shite."

 _Mah veh none are a._

Heart faltering as the silence stretches, Sera leans forward and drapes herself across Ellana's torso, resting her head and looking up at the mage's face as her finger lightly skims and traces random shapes on Lavellan's stomach. A silly notion occupied her mind and eventually when ignoring it proved to be ineffective, she decided to carry it out and idly traced the image slightly to the left of the sternum where the heart resides.

 _3_ = _7_

As she watched her fingers she chortled, _shite this can be taken so wrong. Definitely doesn't look like an arrow. Tip's crooked too, poor sob._ She grinned up at Ellana, _good thing I'm using my fingers instead of-_ _ugh_ _what the hell is wrong with me, get outta the gutter idiot!_ A low groan slips past the mage's lips and Sera raises her head, eyes honing on the pained features, "H-hey, what's wrong?" She shook Lavellan's shoulders and noted that the tanned mage had been sweating profusely, it wasn't long after that the room temperature gradually intensified to the point it had become difficult to breathe properly. "Shite," Sera places her palm on the elven woman's forehead and yelps, immediately retracting and cradling her hand, "Fuck yer really burning up!" _She got a fever?_ Her temper flared, _weren't them friggin' healers supposed to be taking care of her?!_ The archer rushes to the door and fumbles with the locks, cursing as her hands quivered, _calm down, she'll be fine. Just a fuckin' cold. Find the healer, shove an arrow up their arse, then ask them to haul ass and fix her._

"Wake up and tell me it's not a problem," Sera whispered sadly, casting a worried glance at Ellana when she finally undid all the locks, "I'll be back soon luv, don't go anywhere." _Where the hell would she go, stupid?_ The city elf shook her head and exited the cabin, storming straight to the healer's tent and lifting the first one she saw by the collar, "Herald's got a fuckin' fever. Do your damn job asshole, or yer gonna find yourself with two!" The young man eagerly nodded and as soon as he was set down he ran and reminded Sera of a fond memory, she chuckled. _Just like that one guy when Ena set his dangle-bags on fire._ Soon after she follows the man back to the cabin and waits impatiently, tapping her foot and crossing her arms as he inspects Lavellan.

"She has a fever."

"No shit captain obvious I already told you that. What can we do to fix it?"

"I'm low on elfroot, I need-"

"How much?"

"At least a bundle of two."

"Fuck..." Sera's frustration was rapidly mounting and she desperately wanted to strangle someone, especially the young man in front of her.

"Err… I'll need some time but I can harvest some outside the gate and-"

"Got it leave it to me. Stay here and make sure she doesn't get worse or I'll stripe you up, ye hear?" The healer gulped and nodded then Sera rushed back out, rubbing her arms when the chilling air reduced her to shivers and chattering teeth within minutes. _Faster I do this, faster I can warm up,_ Lavellan danced around in her mind and she grumbled, _you have it easy, arsehole. Doing all the bloody work for ya while you get to_ _prance 'round in la-la land._ She spotted a lone elfroot and rushed over, unsheathing her shin knife and cutting at the base of the stalk. _Right, how many is in a bundle anyways? Fuck._ She scaled the walls and kept her eyes peeled, ignoring the strange looks she got from nearby soldiers. _So if the Herald does this it's no big deal but if it's me it's weird? Piss off._ Soon she collected a decent pile and began her trek back, awkwardly holding the bundle as she wrestled with her feet in the deep snow. _Think ten's enough, better be._ When she returned the healer's face lit up and he bowed his head graciously, her eyes fell on the set up he had beside him.

"Thank you! This will help many people!"

"Wait, what? You said two bundles, I didn't do it for the fuckin' army."

"A bundle of two to be precise," the young man picked out the best in the pile and chopped the stem into smaller pieces then dropped them into a mortar. Sera grumbled and scratched the back of her head as she watched him work, _shit I heard wrong… Coulda saved me a bunch of time too. Oh well,_ she noted the healer's change of attitude and the bright look on his face, _looks real happy just coz he can help more people now..._ The young man furiously grinds the elfroot in the mortar and wields the pestle as if it were a weapon, the screeching and clanking sounds grind both the plant and Sera's nerves. _How long's this shite take?_ As if on cue the healer finishes and takes out a flask, cautiously dropping the powdery substance inside. "There we are, all done! All she needs to do is drink this." The two exchange silent glances then look at the motionless body, Sera scratches her head furiously and sighs frustratedly.

"And how the fuck do you think she'll do that, huh?" _Gotta do everything for her, jeez. She owes me for this,_ "Here, gimme that and get lost. You sure this'll work?"

"It'll take effect immediately and the fever should be gone within a matter of minutes. Her body will still need to fight off the illness, however this will help with the symptoms and-"

"Alright I get it, thanks."

"It was my pleasure," the young bowed respectfully as he packed his tools and gathered the bundles, "And thank you for retrieving this much. You've saved many people!" With that, the healer took his leave and Sera looked at the drenched mage, _fuck she's sweating enough to fill a friggin' bucket._ She walked over and knelt on her knees then slid her arm under Ellana's neck.

"Ow! Fuck!" The archer retracts her arm and stares in bewilderment at the faint steam that rose from her skin, "Definitely a really bad thing if you of all people catch a cold that's for sure. Cold, ye daft tit, cold! Not on fire!"

 ** _Fire's my favorite thing!_**

Sera groaned and promptly shut out the familiar laughter bouncing in her mind, she huffed and worriedly watched as a sweat drop traveled down Lavellan's jaw and made way for the collar. "Too stuffy for you," she set the flask down and her hands hovered over the shirt, _not doing this for a peep show,_ she reassures her conscience, _got to do this so she won't literally blow up._ She deftly unbuttons and parts the shirt slightly, enough to expose the abdomen but still hug the inner side of the elven woman's breasts. "Now how do I make you drink this?" She groaned lowly, "Shit, forgot to ask the guy how much you're supposed to drink too..." As she mused, her eyes subconsciously gaped at Ellana's parted lips and conscious thought gradually faded away. _Focus, idiot,_ Sera chastised herself, _what can I do?_ Her eyes immediately fall back on the lips and she absent-mindlessly touches her forehead, smiling as the warmth crept into her thoughts. _Ugh, stop! Quit thinking 'bout kissi…_ As her thoughts trail off, her eyes widen. "Oh."

 **Fuck**.

 _There's got to be a better way,_ despite her thinking of every reason not to, a mischievous grin swept her face and her body cheered as it encouraged the urges to go through with the kiss. _Piss off, I ain't gonna take advantage of her when she's knocked the fuck out!_ The angel and demon waged war for dominance, and the demon was winning by a large margin. Naturally. As usual.

What else did you think was going to happen?

 ** _It's to help her after all. You do want to help her, don't you?_**

 _Well yeah but-_

 ** _Come on, two birds with one stone! Do it, you_** ** _want_** ** _to. This may be your only chance!_**

"Ugh… Really fucking creepy that I'm arguing with myself in my own damn head." Sera sighed as she eyeballed the flask and hesitantly reached for it, opening the cap and staring inside. _It's not taking advantage of her, right?_

 ** _Of course not, you're doing this for her own good._**

 _Right…_ Sera presses her lip to the edge of the flask's apex and tilts her head back, pouring and holding the bitter contents in her mouth. She closes the lid and abandons the flask on the floor as she kneels higher and looms over the mage. _Gotta be careful not to burn myself either,_ the archer stabilizes herself and places her hands on either side of Ellana's head, twisting her torso to align herself as she slowly lowered. She struggled not to chuckle at the irony of the situation, _all this started because of a lousy kiss._ As she hovered inches away from Lavellan's lips she inwardly laughed, _you wanted me to tell you what's right, to teach you?_ _Here's yer friggin' middle-ground,_ her body instantly relaxed as she tenderly pressed her lips in and maneuvered around until she was sure it would be okay to let the liquid dribble through. As the last of the bitter remedy rolled off her tongue, Sera took what she deemed was her only chance and waited until the mage's body cooled down. She grinned and gently framed Ellana's jaw with her hands as she whispered.

"This is how you kiss."


	9. Not What it Seems

**Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!**

 **AN:** Thank you for the kind review wasabi, and thanks to everybody who favorites/follows! Appreciate the fact that there are people who enjoy this story even if it's a little bit :) Also if you haven't yet, check out the community dedicated to stories centered around Sera: _Thief of Hearts_ , I've added quite a few stories and will gladly accept anyone who would like to be staff or think a particular story should be added. Feel free to PM :)

* * *

 **Not What it Seems**

* * *

" **What is the meaning of this**?!" The demon side chastised Sera, _what did I say, only chance and you were too slow,_ and the angel thanked for the intrusion when the archer realized the second kiss would have been taking advantage of the opportunity. Sera sighed and silently cursed then turned around to face the angry warrior who's glare alone dispelled the demon side. _Oh._ _Shit_ _._

"I swear it's not what it looks like," the archer winced when the glare seemed to give off it's own heat and sparks, _I'm so dead._

"First of all you have not visited the Herald ever since the incident at the lake, and what do I find when I come in here? You were about to violate her in her sleep! That's what you come for?!"

"I said it ain't what it looks like! She has a fever!"

Cassandra marched over and looked down to inspect the validity of Sera's claim and her eyes narrowed on the city elf, "She looks fine."

"That's because of this!" Sera held up the flask, "I dragged one of the-" The Seeker yanked the flask out of her hand and opened the cap, she brought it up to her nose and the archer's eyes widened. _Oh fuck that shit tastes and_ _smells_ _bitter, she's gonna think-_

The flask gave way to the crushing pressure of the Seeker's grip as she clenched it into a tight fist, the aura of wrath and the heat in the room rapidly intensified. _Looks like Ena wasn't being weird with everyone having a fuckin' fire,_ Sera gulped when the piercing eyes bore into her soul, she knew she was dead if she didn't escape soon. "You expose her, about to k-kiss her, and you give her  alcohol?!"

"Lady if I wanted to expose the friggin' Herald she wouldn't have her tits covered and-" Sera immediately rolled to the side and dodged the Seeker's smack, _shit not the thing to say right now!_ _This shit just can't get any worse!_ Both the women froze when it did.

"Uhn..." Lavellan groaned, _no not now, go back to sleep!_ Sera looked around for objects she could take and chuck at the dalish mage's head, _need to knock her out, fuck why do you wake up now?! Do you_ _want_ _to kill me?!_ She gritted her teeth when her eyes fell on the chair behind her, _too big, knock 'em both out. Ena you open yer mouth and it's all over for me,_ she pleadingly looked at the confused mage who slowly propped herself up on the elbows, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as if seemingly trying to figure out what was going on. _Don't blow this up like you always do!_

"I give up, what's going on?" _Can you not see the look in my eyes?!_ Sera exaggeratedly widened and blinked her eyes in an attempt to grab the elven woman's attention, she uttered tiny grunts too quiet for the Seeker to hear, "And why are you making a weird face Sera?" _UGH. FUCK!_ Cassandra slowly turned and smiled sweetly at the archer.

 **Sweetly**.

 _I'm gonna die!_

As Sera scrambled out of the cabin with all due haste, she couldn't help the joyous laughter bubbling in her chest, _I guess it's not_ _so_ _bad. It's not even worse._ She looked behind her at the furious woman chasing her and shouting at the top of her lungs, _life's never boring anymore, thanks Ena._

* * *

Lavellan didn't know quite what to make of what happened, so she didn't. She shrugs and swings her legs over to the edge of the bed and sits up, groaning lowly at the hammering headache. Her body felt like a boulder repeatedly rolled over her again and again, and worst of all there was a bitter taste in her mouth. There were a variety of scents coating the room yet one familiar smell stuck out to her like a sore thumb, noting that it was strongest every time she bowed her head. _Was Sera cold again?_ Guilt gnawed on her until the fuzzy images of when she was last awake filtered in her brain. _We argued? Nothing new there,_ she rubbed her palms to soothe the nervousness, _feel angry and don't know why, not good. Dangerous._ She looked around the room for clues to piece together what had happened and gave up, _I'll go ask someone instead._

As she left the cabin, she noted that the shems had stared more than usual before they quickly bowed, as if they had forgotten and were worried about something. _Think I'll go to Josephine so I can ask about this too._ When she got closer to the chantry, Sera's smell had become predominantly stronger and shouts echoed far away, the dalish mage looked behind her and shrugged, _perhaps another prank gone wrong?_ She rapped her knuckles along the Ambassador's door and stepped in before Josephine had said 'come in'. She froze in her spot when she entered prematurely and scratched her head.

"Ir abelas. I messed up again," Ellana turned around and closed the door despite the Ambassador's protests and knocked again. Her lips spread in a childish grin when she heard Josephine's muffled chuckle, her invitation laced with amusement and laughter. "I guess that was a little silly," the dalish mage commented as she stepped back inside and was unaware of the Ambassador's slight jaw drop, "I was wondering if you could-" her head tilted in confusion when the antivan woman hastily stood and walked to her. She fought down the defensive instincts warning her that she was being attacked and immediately chastised herself, _she's trustworthy, she's not like typical shems._ Josephine brushed past her then closed and locked the door, gesturing for curious onlookers to look away. "Are you alright Josifeen?"

"Err, yes. More importantly here," the Ambassador stepped in front of the confused elven woman and her fingers trembled slightly as they buttoned up the shirt. "Thankfully only your stomach was exposed but," Josephine looked up at Ellana, "Why was your shirt parted?"

"Beats me," Lavellan shrugged and nodded her head in thanks, "I came here hoping to find out what happened to me."

"You mean you don't remember?"

"Uh… Nope?"

"How's your head feeling?" Josephine gestured for the dalish mage to take a seat and inspected the scar on her forehead, "I'm not well versed in things like this but you may want to visit the healers after." She looked concerned at the elven woman, "Three days ago you had an… Accident. You ended up submerged when the ice gave way at the frozen lake, and also smacked your head in the process."

"Three days…?" Ellana mumbles and closes her eyes, humming softly as she absorbs the new information. "Why was I out for so long?" Her headache slowly got worse as more jumbled images and voices flashed in her mind, _don't get any of this._ "Wait," she stood up, "W-whoa..." Lightheaded and dizzy she sits back down, "And the breach? Our allies?"

"You really need to rest first, we-"

"We're running out of time," Lavellan urged, "Have you and the others decided who I'm going to approach yet?"

"Ah," Josephine smiled meekly, "We cannot come to an agreement, we were actually going to ask you for your opinion."

"Mages without a doubt," Ellana answered, "Inform the others, we need to get there as soon as possible." The elven woman took her time to stand up and adjust before wobbling towards the door, she smiled reassuringly when she looked back at the concerned Ambassador. "It's not a problem, don't worry. I've handled worse, and the breach will not wait for me to get my head back." With that, she left and apologized when she nearly walked into the Spymaster, _perhaps I should go to the healers in the mean time._ Lavellan wove through the crowd and noted the soldiers had stopped staring as long and she looked down, _because Josephine fixed my shirt. I wonder why skin distracts shems so much?_ She made way to the tent and stepped inside, mimicking the warm smile the young man gave her as he gestured her to sit down.

"How are you doing? Is your fever gone?"

"Fever?"

"I'll take that as a yes," he chuckled lightly and strode to her, unaware that she had stiffened at his proximity. "Earlier another female elf came by and… Informed me of your change in your condition. She helped me with the mixture and," he pointed to his new stockpile of elfroot in the corner-crate, "Also harvested more than I could ever ask for."

"Sera?"

"Don't know she didn't introduce herself. Odd elf in how she… Achieves things… But she was clearly worried." _Must have been Sera._ Ellana focused on breathing slowly to quell the rising urges to defend herself as the man wove his fingers in her hair, inspecting her head. _He's here to help, already did. If Sera trusts him so can I._ The young man started to hum a tune softly and she looked up, feeling at ease when she had noticed he had not feared her whatsoever. "You'll have a small scar, but otherwise it's healing better than expected. How is your head?"

"Weird," Lavellan mumbled, "Fuzzy. And I find it difficult to keep my balance when I stand up after sitting. Hurts too," her curiosity got the better of her, "Why aren't you afraid of me?"

"Still recovering from a minor concussion but I can alleviate the symptoms temporarily," he looked down at her and shrugged, "I also see no reason to fear you."

"I'm dalish."

"I'm human."

"I'm a mage."

"As am I."

"And I have a tattoo covering half my face, I've been told countless times it's frightening." Lavellan tilted her head when the young man smiled and rolled up the sleeve of his robe, revealing a large tattoo with a dagger surrounded by snakes spiraling around and covering the entirety of his arm. _Shems have vallaslin too?_

"I know what it's like to be treated as an outcast, but that doesn't matter to me. So long as I can help, I'm happy," the healer wove his fingers to the back of her head and Ellana groaned lowly when she felt warmth seep in. A look of intense concentration was on the man's face and she found herself reflecting and repeating his words as the healing magic soothed the headache. _Selfless shems,_ she stole a glance at the peaceful features of the healer before her and suddenly felt guilty. _It's not them who are cruel or fearful, it's me who thought that._

"Ir abelas," she mumbled and noted the look of confusion, "Ah, I said I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"I've misjudged you, many here in fact. I had thought humans were afraid of me, but all this time I was the one who was afraid." _Is this what you meant when you said I was capable, Keeper?_ Her attention snapped to the young man who chuckled and withdrew his hands, "Did I say something funny? I don't understand much about shemlen culture still."

"No, no, it's just that you have reached the same conclusion I have when I first started in the Inquisition," his eyes danced with amusement and he sat across from her, "I won't lie, I was in the same position as you. I used to hate elves," he rose his hands in surrender when he noted the look of anger and hurt flash in Ellana's eyes. "Used to, I said."

"Was it the whole kidnapping babies and eating people stories?"

"Neither," the healer replied readily and exhaled shakily, "My family had been killed by elves who ransacked our wagon. Back then being an apostate held dangerous weight and you were always hunted, I was always on the run with my family." He bowed his head and his eyes looked distant, "After that… I had nothing left. They beat me to near death and it was merchant on his way to Denerim who saved me. Had no money, no purpose, fell in a dark hole you know? So I resorted to thievery, joined a mercenary band when people found out my hands had more than one talent: healing."

Lavellan's temper flared, "Did you ever find those elves? I can find them and teach them a lesson for you," she cracked her knuckles and the healer laughed.

"That's quite alright. I must say your reaction is oddly comforting, nobody's ever listened to my story without judging me, nor were they ever willing to find the offenders and..." His eyes twinkled with mirth, "Offer to beat them up."

"Don't matter who you are or what you look like, murder's wrong all around and senseless. Nothing justifies it. They didn't have to attack you if they were only after your valuables." _If the elves shared the same hatred I had for shems after Samahl died, would I have let them live?_ She shook the doubt from her mind and probed about the man's life again, "What changed your mind and turn around?"

"Believe it or not, my band scuffled with Sister Nightingale," he laughed at the shocked expression on the mage's face, her eyes practically screaming 'are you crazy?!' "Showed mercy on me though, when I tried to stitch my friend's stomach even when she held a dagger to my neck. Said I worked well under pressure, asked if I wanted to use my talents for something better. Didn't expect she meant the Inquisition when I agreed."

"Why'd you agree? And what happened to your friend?"

"When you've got an angry woman holding a bleedin' knife at yer neck, you listen to anything she wants," he chuckled quietly, "And she single-handedly dealt with four guys with just a dagger. Those guys were assholes anyways. As for my friend," he smiled and thumbed at the Chantry where a proud guard stood, "She let him join too." Ellana smiled and waved at the guard when he noticed the two looking at him, and he eagerly waved back. "Bastard's gonna be real happy about that later, and bug me about this too."

"Huh? Why?"

"Well, maybe you don't really see what you mean to the people, but you're pretty big around here. To talk to the Herald, and for my buddy there to wave at the Herald, that's well… Makes us feel like we're worth a damn."

"But I'm just a mage with new tricks," Lavellan shrugged, "I don't think I'm big, or the Herald. And everybody's life is precious, those who don't think so have merely lost respect for their own life. But if all it takes is to wave at people to make them happy I'll start waving my arms at everyone," she grinned childishly as the healer laughed. "Any other things shemlen usually like?"

"Well, it certainly boosts morale when you walk around half-naked," the young man snickered, "But I believe Sister Nightingale and your elven friend would stripe me up if they knew I encouraged you even as a joke."

" **Got that right**." The healer immediately stiffened and paled at the new voice, he hesitated to look and confirm the impending doom. Lavellan tilted her head in curiosity and looked at the intruder, a bright and cheeky smile blossoming on her face.

"Hey Sera!"

"Yo," the archer didn't even glance at Ellana, her angry glare fixated on the shrinking young man.

"What's that mea-"

"Want to tell me why," Sera's eyes darted to the dalish mage, "We going to Redcliffe when yer still hurting?"

"I'm fine now thanks to, ah…" Lavellan apologetically bowed her head as she looked at the man, "I forgot to ask your name."

"He don't need a name," Sera stomped forward and grabbed the dalish woman's wrist then roughly pulled her away, "And if he knows what's good for him he'll stop thinking with his other fuckin' head." _Shemlens have two heads?_ Ellana glanced behind her in confusion but shrugged, she opted to wave goodbye and grinned when the healer sheepishly waved back. _Wonder why he went behind the crates?_

"Where are we going Sera?" _Her fire's wild and yet struggling not to spread, she's upset again._

"Back to yer friggin' cabin, you got some explaining to do." As the two head back, Lavellan remembered something incredibly important.

 ** _If all it takes is to wave at people to make them happy I'll start waving my arms at everyone._**

At this, the eager dalish mage waves her free arm around and laughs, Sera's head snaps back in confusion, "What… Are you doing?" The archer saw how some of the soldiers stopped and tilted their heads, then a look of concern soon swept their features, "Shit, quit waving like that Ena! People'll get the wrong idea!"

"Why? It's fun!" _This is all I had to do? This is so easy, everyone should do it!_

"Fuck sake Ena, yer gonna get me in trouble again!" Sera roughly yanked on the elven woman and started to heave as pulling the excited mage became harder and harder. "Almost… There…!"

" **What is the meaning of this**?! Again, Sera?!"

"FUCK! I swear it's not what it looks like Cass, you gotta believe me this time! Ena tell her!" Lavellan paid no mind to the two and kept waving to different people who stopped what they were doing to wave back. _It's working! They're laughing too!_

"First you violate her, now you're kidnapping her?!"

"ENA! Snap out of it and-"

"Huh?" Ellana turned around to the shouting women and tilted her head, "It's not a problem." _Why's Sera panicking? We're not being attacked._

"It is a fucking problem Ena!"

"Herald," the Seeker approached the two as she glared at Sera, "Can you please explain what is going on? Why are you waving like that?"

"Help." Lavellan grinned childishly but before she could explain, the archer groaned and cut her off.

"She means to help others. Make 'em happy, yeah?" Sera raked her hand through her hair, "Look she's still friggin' waving like an idiot even when she's safe. Ain't fuckin' doing nothing to her, now lay off."

"She's right," Ellana looked around and waved goodbye when the smirking crowd slowly dispersed, "The healer taught me waving will make people feel like they are 'worth a damn'."

"'Bout time yer friggin' mouth fixes things instead of blowing it up," Sera glared heatedly at the Seeker, "And you, quit thinking I'm doing bad shit to her!" She mumbled lowly, "Especially since she's the one getting me into bad shit." The archer reached for Lavellan's wrist and tugged on her, "Now piss off. Me and her gotta talk 'bout something 'important'."

"Ah," Ellana looked back and stumbled along as the city elf dragged her inside the cabin, "We leave for Redcliffe in half an hour!" Sera slammed the door shut, when she whirled around she gently pushed the elven woman by the shoulders and guided her towards the bed.

"On the bed. Now."

"Is there something the matter?" Lavellan glanced over her shoulder to check if the bed was indeed behind her and sat down, she looked up and searched the city elf's face for answers. _She's not upset anymore?_ Genuinely curious when Sera knelt down, she was completely comfortable with the close proximity of their faces, "Sera?"

"Just… Shut up and let me do this, okay? Close your eyes."

"Okay," Ellana gave a sort of half-shrug and complied, _I've never seen her like this before._ The air seemingly changed and for some odd reason, the dalish elf suddenly felt nervous yet couldn't pinpoint why. As soon as she could feel fingers weave into her hair her lips spread in a contagious and content lopsided grin.

"Sure look happy," Sera snickered softly, "Just because of a bit of scratching..."

The elven woman grunted in approval and her grin grew larger, "You sound different now. Why?"

"Never mind that. Yer still recovering, we can't go to Redcliffe."

Lavellan opened her eyes and had a look of determination, "We have to. Besides I'm better now, it's not a problem." She pouted when Sera stopped scratching, "Don't stop please."

"Friggin' clueless tit," Sera whispered with a softness the dalish mage was not accustomed to, "You dunno that half the things you say mean somethin' else."

"But you know me and that's all that matters," Ellana's eyes fluttered close and she nudged her head against the city elf's hands, childish glee filling her at the sound of Sera's chuckles. _Even her laughter sounds different. Happier? No…_ Her eyes snapped open and she stared intensely at the archer, "Natural."

"What?" The scratching slowed, "Q-quit staring weirdo. Do ya do that to others too? No wonder people get the wrong idea with you all the time." Sera's face darkened and a scowl swept her features, "Like that arsehole at the tent. Friggin' flirting with you when he knows you don't know better."

"What's flirting mean?"

"Point proven," Sera sighed when the dalish mage nudged her hands and began to scratch and massage again, "Don't worry yer pretty head 'bout it. It's a..." The city elf averted her gaze to the side as she mumbled, "Shem thing." _Elvhen?_ Lavellan grasped the archer's wrists and peered into the razor sharp slits, "The heck are you doing ya daft tit?!"

"Y-you said… I don't understand?"

"Look, don't explode yer brains thinking about it yeah? Picked up a few of your words like you've picked up mine." _That's true. Which reminds me..._

"What's yo mean?"

"Yer so random, know that? Like that one too, huh." Sera stood and grabbed one of the chairs then spun it around, sitting and resting her arms on the spine of the seat. "It's like 'hey' or 'what's up'. I got another one to ask you," her ears throbbed with warmth at the obvious joy on the mage's face, "Yer too friggin' honest, easy to figure out. Wipe that stupid smile off your face, only curious 'bout what you said before."

"Can you blame me? A month ago you'd insult me or get angry any time I even mumbled to myself in elvhen but now…"

"Like I said, don't think on it too much. Now what's mah veh none are a mean?" Sera's eyes narrowed like a hawk when the elven woman stiffened, "Bad word?"

"N-no," Lavellan scratched the back of her head and criss-crossed her legs on the bed, her palms resting in the small hole made by the position. "Err… You're not going to like it." _Ma vhenan'ara..._

"Just tell me, can't be any worse than-"

"My heart's desire." Now it was Sera's turn to tense and the dalish mage looked down, the elephant in the room grew fatter and fatter as the silence stretched. It felt stuffy and the heat was making Ellana uncomfortable.

"You don't… You know what that actually means right?" The mixture of hope and doubt in Sera's voice made the mage's stomach churn and flip flop.

"Want to be close to you all the time," Lavellan mumbled but kept her eyes peeled to the floor, momentarily glancing at the small metal trinkets with burnt edges before back at the ground. _I forgot about those._ The archer's stuttering sigh made the nervousness crawl back and she whispered, "Told you you're special to me."

Knocks muffled outside the door and the Seeker's voice brought the two out of their moment, "Herald, we're ready to leave for Redcliffe now. Are you two okay in there?"

"Yes, we'll be there soon give us a couple minutes!" Ellana awkwardly rose from the bed and extended her hand to Sera, "Ready to-"

"Show me."

"What?" Lavellan's head tilted curiously, "Show you what?" _What I made?_ Her eyes glanced back to the table with the trinkets, _want to make another one first though._

"What desire means to you," Sera stood from the chair and stepped right up to the mage, "I want to see so it won't drive me nuts thinking if you actually know it or not."

"But I already am…?" _I don't understand what she's asking._

"Tch, figures. So to you it's just a 'desire' to be 'round me huh?"

"Yes, all the time." _Why does she look sad? Isn't it a good thing?_ The city elf deflated and her shoulders sank, she made way for the cabin door and Ellana wracked her brain for answers. _Was it something I said or did?_

 ** _Didn't do._**

 _So then what am I supposed to do?_

 ** _Instincts._**

Without another spare thought Lavellan rushes forward and reaches past the archer's head, her palm resting on the door to ensure it wouldn't be opened. "You wanted to know? Then allow me to show you how I want to be around you." Sera turned around with a skeptical look on her face, _so it is because I didn't do anything after all, that's easy to fix then._

Eagerness and doubt swirled in the razor sharp slits, "Think 'bout it first, yer rushing into this shit again and-"

"It's not a problem."

"It will be a problem!"

"But we do this all the time?"

"W-what?" Sera felt trapped against the door and cursed quietly, the mage rested her hands on Sera's shoulders and grinned childishly. "Ena I don't wanna put pressure on you, think 'bout this first!"

"I like it when you put pressure on me, now come closer."

"Quit saying shit that could be taken really wrong ye daft tit!" Sera felt rigid under the soft touch, her eyes shuttered close when the dalish mage inched closer to her. "I thought you didn't know what a kiss was..."

"I always knew," Lavellan chuckled and the raspy timbre echoed in the small cabin, she pulled the archer towards her and enveloped her in a tight hug. She pressed her lips against Sera's forehead and focused on raising her temperature, wrapping them both in calming warmth. "Just know a different way than yours." _This topic… Feels familiar. Is this what we argued about?_

"Clearly," Sera mumbled with a hint of disappointment and brought her arms up to clutch the front of the mage's shirt, "Never know what to expect anymore."

"Doesn't that make things more fun?"

"Yeah..." The archer gently pushed away and stared in the smoldering coal eyes, "I guess it's not so bad. Just a different way huh..." With an affirmative nod, Sera pats the mage's cheek and grins, "When we come back from Redcliffe, I'm showing you my way of what desire actually means. Come on, let's go beat up some arseholes."

As they exit the cabin, Ellana couldn't help the eager curiosity bouncing in her mind and the urge to cancel the mission. _Faster we do this, faster we come back,_ she absent-mindlessly muttered under her breath,"I like it when you teach me."

"Heh," Sera turned around and clasped her hands behind her back, mischief danced in her eyes and her toothy grin spread ear to ear, "This time you'll **love** what I'll teach you."


	10. Heaven in Hell

**Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!**

 **A** **N:** According to Ellana they have kissed, InverseTwilight ;) Soon, though, you needn't wait any longer (remarkable timing too!) To be honest even I get frustrated and start writing a scene till I remember oh right, we're working with here :P Thanks for the laugh though mate, cheers!

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _An'eth'ara:_ 'My safe place', a friendly greeting

 _Harellan:_ Trickster (Ellana intentionally lies)

 _Fenedhis:_ Surely we know by now what this means right? Naughty elves ;)

 _Var sa'vhenan:_ Our hearts are one

* * *

 **Heaven in Hell**

* * *

"I feel like I'm forgetting something. Sera, what am I missing?"

"Hell if I know, the heck you asking me for?"

"Why would I ask anybody else? You know me best," Lavellan stated as if it was the most obvious fact in the world and tilted her head in confusion. "You're weird."

"Wha… Why am I weird?! You're the weird one, weirdo!" Sera squirmed uncomfortably and tried to squash the heat beneath her neck, _know you best huh…? Damn right I do._ "You coming up here or gonna make poop faces all day long?" The archer extended her hand and helped pull Ellana up on the horse behind her, quietly snickering at the look of intense concentration on the mage's face. _Doesn't suit her at all. Guess whatever she's missing must be real important._ Every time they were traveling somewhere, it was hell on earth for Sera. Not only was she the one delegated to steer the reins since the dalish elf was unaccustomed to horses, but she was stuck with the hottest woman in all of Thedas.

Literally.

Imagine spending hours of non-stop riding with a fire sitting directly behind you. To make matters worse, Lavellan had an annoying habit of being lulled to sleep by the motion and more often than not spent most of the journey with her arms clinging on to the archer. And-as if that weren't enough-the mage was impossible to pry off, Sera would have to wait for the heavy sleeper to stop drooling and wake up of her own accord. _This is gonna suck, at least Redcliffe isn't too far away._ "Hey Ena can you..." The city elf glanced back and stiffened, immediately counting backwards in her head to control herself before she lost it. It didn't help her whatsoever when some of the other group members chuckled at her predicament.

"Already asleep and we haven't even started moving yet," Varric climbed up the crates and scooted behind Bull on the saddle, the extra-sturdy steed whined in protest. "Seriously? The horse is calling me fat?" He grumbled and reluctantly climbed off when the dwarf became the butt of the joke instead, "Why can't Chuckles come instead? Now I'm stuck with you," he exchanged a heated glare with the Seeker who ignored the bait and averted her gaze to Lavellan.

"The Herald deserves to rest, she's-"

"Hell no she doesn't, she's been sleeping this entire time!" Sera could feel localized heat right between her shoulder blades and groaned as she shrugged her shoulders. "Yo Ena," she glanced back, "At least don't friggin' drool on me, stings more when you're burning up a damp shirt." The dalish mage mumbled incoherently and squeezed tightly causing Sera to cringe when the heat burrowed in every inch of her body. When Varric settled in with Cassandra on the horse the group set off, making Sera and Ellana the center of their snide jokes for the whole trip. _Arseholes,_ the archer looked back and snickered at the tuft of firebrand hair with single strands and locks defying gravity, _sure got a messy bed-head._ She smirked to herself, _soon it'll be because of me, and nothing's gonna change my mind._

* * *

"We'll draw less attention if we leave the horses in the camp and travel the rest of the way on foot," Lavellan tilted her head in confusion when the group groaned tiredly, "What's wrong?"

"Can't we, I don't know… Rest for the night?" Varric pleaded, "We've been traveling without breaks the entire time."

"It's not much farther away," Ellana reasoned, "All it is, is meeting up with them right?" She turned around and began to walk absent-mindlessly.

"That's true," Cassandra stretched her stiff limbs and rotated her wrists, "And we can stay at the inn after negotiations are done. Quit complaining Varric the demons will not wait for you."

"Alright, alright," Varric rose his hands in surrender and mumbled quietly to himself, "It seems I'll be a slave to hard-ass women all my life..."

Bull chuckled and slapped across his shoulder, "If you ask me life must be pretty damn good in that case."

"It's an illusion Tiny, take it from me."

"Enough chatter," Seeker groaned and pointed to the trail leading to Redcliffe, "We're already behind, the Herald's gone off without us."

" **As usual** ," Bull and Varric grumbled simultaneously. It was then they noticed Sera hadn't been with them and quickly scanned the camp. On a hunch Bull checked inside one of the tents where a disgruntled guard stood watch, and his laughter shook the tents. The archer had been sprawled out and passed out on the pelts, and wasn't even deterred by the loud noise.

"Sorry man," Bull smirked at the disgruntled guard, "Kicked you out did she?" A disapproving grunt was all he needed, the qunari decided to drag Sera out by the ankle. She woke immediately and was kicking and thrashing, cursing to the high heavens. The thick groggy haze blanketed her mind and in her desperation she managed to grab her bow and an arrow out of her quiver before she was dragged outside the tent. "Wait, Sera don't shoot!" It was too late, the archer chambered and released the arrow. Before it had any chance to do damage however, a fireball had effectively swallowed and swiftly burnt the offending object to a crisp. When Sera came down from her high and realized what she had done, her head snapped in the direction of where Lavellan proudly stood, a grin on her face.

"Target training with Varric's paid off! That was a good test Sera, thanks!" The Seeker glared at Varric who shrugged with his hands held out, a smug smirk on his face as Ellana laughed in joy of her accomplishment.

Bull stood slack jawed, "B-Boss… That wasn't a test," he mumbled, "Well that just saved me another scar. Damn."

"Better luck next time Tiny, or un-luck?"

Lavellan walked over and helped Sera up from the ground, "Come on, we have to get moving. Came back to get you guys after I smoked a couple bandits."

" **You can't smoke people** ," the group groaned in synchrony, then laughed as Ellana sheepishly scratched the back of her head.

"Right, forgot. Roasted them whatever you know what I mean!" Lavellan looked at the archer, "Where's your quiver?"

"In the tent, I was sleeping ye daft twats what the fuck did you drag me out here for?"

"We're going to Redcliffe?" Ellana stated as if it was the most obvious thing to say and one eyebrow rose as she stared at the city elf, "You're weird."

"What?! You're the weird one dammit! Why the fuck are we still going, the sun will set in an hour and we're tired! Can't we take a-"

"Already asked Buttercup," Varric chuckled, "Let me put it this way, if you don't willingly go the Seeker here will knock you out and carry your ass."

"That is not true," Cassandra grumbled, and her eyes widened when the archer actually seemed like she was contemplating on the idea. "I'm not carrying you Sera."

"Ugh… Fine let's get this shit ove- _wah_!" Searing heat seeped into her stomach and the archer had noticed she had been looking at the  moving ground. She huffs out, "Put me down Ena, I can walk by my friggin' self!" She was greeted by laughter that rumbled through her and a pat on her bum, "This ain't funny!"

"Thanks for training me Sera!"

"I'm not your fucking-"

"Someone grab her stuff, come on let's get to Redcliffe before the sun's down!"

Sera huffed and her body slackened as she gave up, she looked back only to see the messy hair and mumbled, "When your shoulder gets sore put me down."

"I'll just switch shoulders."

"Yer so damn stubborn, how the hell do you even have this much energy?! Oh right you slept for the whole friggin' trip."

"Quit complaining Sera," Bull caught up with the two and watched with amusement, "You're bouncing on her, just like you wanted."

"You dim wit don't sa-"

"You always wanted this Sera?" Lavellan looked back and spoke to the archer's rear-end as if it was the most natural thing to do, "You could have just said so, I don't mind carrying you." Much to the archer's displeasure, the group, even Cassandra, roared in laughter at Ellana's cluelessness and once again Sera became the butt of jokes. _I should fart in her fucking face. That'll teach her._

* * *

True to her word, Lavellan would swap the city elf on her other shoulder and eventually Sera gave up protesting. It was once they stood in front of the inn that the group came to her rescue, trying to explain to the mage that negotiations would be awkward for 'shemlen' if they had to talk to her with a butt beside her face. "When you put it like that yeah it does sound weird," she slid Sera off and carefully placed her on her feet.

"That's what sounds weird to you? Asses beside faces?" Bull smirked as he glanced at the drained archer, "Not for someone else it's not."

"Oh har-dee-haw all funny you," Sera scoffed but couldn't help but chuckle along with the qunari, especially when the Seeker groaned in disgust.

"Anyway while I talk with the Grand Enchanter, grab yourselves some food and sleep. It'll be a long day tomorrow," Lavellan looked at Cassandra, "Will you stay with me though? I'm not sure how these things work." The Seeker nodded and with that the group split up as they head inside, Sera lingered in the shadows and watched the scene unfold instead. Her hands itched to draw the string and pop an arrow in the young man that stumbled on Ellana, and let out a quiet sigh of relief when nothing happened. Her eyes honed in on the small slip of paper in the mage's hand, and her ears strained to pick up what the mage whispered as she read. The crowd had gotten rowdy and cheered as they toasted to each other after the Magister left, but the way the Seeker's lips moved confirmed her suspicion.

 ** _It may be a trap._**

Lavellan nodded and smiled reassuringly then said something the archer couldn't quite make out, she watched as the two wove through the crowd and exit the tavern. _Are they stupid? Walking into a trap with just the two of them?_ Sera grumbled and quietly slipped outside, _always babysitting you, can't you ever take care of yourself? Shit where did they go?_ She looked around only to find people looking at her oddly, _think I smell her, maybe this way?_ Sera head off in the direction of the old chantry and felt incredibly uneasy, "Smells fuckin' wrong here." She noticed the wood seemed to be brittle and when she trailed her fingers on it, she smiled. _Still hot. Definitely her._ Taking out her bow and reaching for an arrow, she draws the string and uses her elbow to push down on the handle. Slowly inching the door inwards with her shoulder, her eyes widen in panic and she immediately releases an arrow at a demon behind the Seeker. "Watch yer flank Cass!" _The fucks going on, why the hell are there demons here?!_ Her stomach churned unpleasantly as her eyes darted at the mosaic windows, _ain't this the home of the big guy? Maker's on fucking vacation!_

"Watch out!" Lavellan swiftly primed and detonated the rune below one of the terrors, "Spread out, avoid the discolored parts of the floor they aren't normal!" At that, Sera had accidentally shifted into the area the mage warned about and panicked when her leg slowed down to a near halt as it moved in the air. _What the fuck?!_ Soon her entire body moved in slow-motion and her head ached as things whirled around her, fear rose and choked her at her throat at the towering green blur before her. _Move dammit, what the fuck is this?!_ She felt pressure on her arm and was pulled, colliding into Ellana as time resumed. Flames swirled around her free arm and she focused them to morph into a ball then aimed at the Terror's head. The shrieks echoed in the chantry as the demon was engulfed in wildfire and did nothing to appease the rising fear in Sera. "And definitely ignore the darker parts," Lavellan breathed exhaustively, "Are you alright?" _Hell no I'm not!_ The archer slowly nodded and watched as Ellana stumbled along towards the rift, extending her marked hand. A look of intense concentration lined her features and she gritted her teeth, "Even closing the rift is different than the others." She clenches her fist and successfully seals the tear, angrily whirling around at the new mage in the hall and demanding answers.

Legs losing strength, Sera plops down on the ground and tries to sort out what had happened, _that wasn't fucking normal, no way. I didn't sign up for this shit,_ she looked up when she felt a hand on her shoulder and was surprised to see the Seeker kneeling beside her. "Thank you, for earlier." _What? Oh the demon breathing on her ass,_ the archer shook her head dismissively and shrugged, she couldn't find her voice to speak. Her throat felt raw and parched, _just want water and to get the fuck out of here._ "How did you know to come here? We decided to let you and the others rest."

"Stupid plan, that." Sera croaked out, "Saw you two leave. Someone's got to babysit fire-breather over there." Cassandra chuckled lowly and helped the archer stand, their eyes trained on Ellana as the mage walked tiredly towards them. "So, we can go sleep now right? No more saving the day?"

"No more saving the day," Lavellan smiled, "Come on, I'm sick of this place."

* * *

Fortunately, Varric got a good deal with another signature, and Sera got an even better deal since the tavern owner was a contact of hers. However because of the shortage of rooms the group was forced to split up and bunk, men and women respectively. This of course did not bother Ellana whatsoever, but it was an entirely different story for Sera and Cassandra. "I call the bed!" Sera snickered when the Seeker sighed, "You snooze you lose! Well now yer losin' coz you ain't snoozing."

"Where am I supposed to sleep then," the Seeker grumbled, and Lavellan inspected the room out of curiosity. _Right, here we go again. She'll probably pick up a friggin' dildo and not know what the hell it is. Priceless, that._

"Dunno, on the couch?" Sera's eyes danced with mischief at the deflated look on the warrior's face.

"Bed's big enough for all of us," Ellana commented idly as she played with a small trinket in her hands, "Could just-"

Both women groaned in synchrony and pointed at each other, " **No.** **I'm not sleeping beside her.** "

"Then I'll be the one in the middle," Lavellan placed the trinket back on the table and grinned proudly at the two, "And you're both cold. I can fix that." _This friggin' idiot doesn't know what else that can fuckin' mean! How clueless can you be?! Clearly there's no fuckin' limit._ Sera sighed and rubbed her forehead when the mage casually stripped and Cassandra protested, _right she doesn't know._

"Flames for tits-er brains here does this all the time. Now you know it ain't my friggin' fault."

"A-ah, I see..." _Beet-red face, priceless. Naked and Armored, this is pretty good._

"Lady Streaks-all-the-time and Lady Underclothes-made-of-steel, gotta tell Varric to make a shitty love story offa this," Sera cackled and bounced around the room to dodge the wrath of the flustered Seeker. Both froze when the heat in the room intensified and turned into a damn near sauna, they hesitantly glanced at the mage only to find her grinning and worst of all...

Hyper.

"Calm down before ya set this place tits up in flames!"

"But I wanna play with you both!"

"Quit saying shit that could be taken wrong dammit!" As Sera ran away from the mage to avoid being picked up or suffocated by the heat, Cassandra swiftly stripped the armor plates and silently slipped under the covers of the bed. Even with both shrieking women, her exhaustion helped her slip into a peaceful slumber. If you could call it peaceful.

* * *

 **Through the Eyes of a Seeker**

As morning light filtered through, Cassandra's eyes snapped open and she was immediately wide-awake thanks to her daily morning routine. She slid out of bed with the intention of doing a short exercise before the group would set out for Haven but stopped dead in her tracks at the horrifying scene before her. Lavellan had been sprawled out on the couch and the Seeker would have immediately averted her gaze if not for one glaringly obvious part that made her blood boil.

Sera had been on top of the Herald.

"T-the nerve..." Cassandra's glare glowered and emitted an ominous aura as she stomped to the archer, "To violate her twice..." As she neared Sera snapped awake and as if sensing the impending doom, she frantically rolls and scrambles to her feet in a groggy daze. One look at the furious warrior was all it took for Sera to dive for her weapons and rush out of the room.

Cassandra's lips curled into a smile of triumph.

* * *

 **Through the Eyes of an Author**

Varric grumbles beside Bull as they both rest their foreheads on the bar counter, totally exhausted from the past night. "Last time I'm sleeping beside a room with an orgy," Bull remarked, "Next time I'm joining. You?"

"No thanks, I've got a better chance of survival in a room full of demons."

"Mnng they are demons."

"Sure shriek like them, you make a good point Tiny." The two disgruntled men raise their heads when something of a storm rolled down the stairs and rushed outside, they exchanged dull glances before shrugging and resting their heads back on the counter. "I'd run away if I saw the Seeker naked too, who knows what she's hiding?" Varric grinned as Bull's booming laughter shook the counter.

* * *

As soon as they made it back to Haven, Lavellan wasted no time reporting to the council about what transpired in Redcliffe. Regardless about everyone's personal opinions on whom to ally with, the dalish elf insisted that Alexius had to be dealt with and Dorian explained about the unstable magic warping time itself. It wasn't long after the advisors agreed and called a meeting for the rest of companions and formulate a plan. Ellana had difficulty grasping Leliana's idea, "Can't we just blow up the gates and go through the front?"

"While a straight-forward method may work for you in most cases, I believe subterfuge and ensuring we have full control of the castle is the best approach in this situation. If anything goes wrong with Alexius, our soldiers will make sure we haven't lost the battle and that you will remain safe. We cannot afford risks, especially with an enemy like this. We do not yet know what the Venatori are capable of."

"Mm..." Lavellan crossed her arms and closed her eyes as she hummed a soft tune, "I'll still get to blow up the gates though right?" She grinned at the quiet snickers in the room, "Alright then, I've got no problem giving Alexius what he wants. I hope he's prepared to do the same for me though," she slammed her fist into her palm, "Let's split up then. Dorian and two others with me, the rest with our soldiers. Who's with who?" The mage's eyes fell on Sera immediately and noted that she had averted her gaze, _she was afraid in the chantry, I can't force her to come at all._

"I'm all for seeing the bastard's face when he finds out his own plan blew up in his face Boss but, I like fighting too. I'm with the soldiers." Solas stood beside Bull and nodded to indicate he'd do the same and Ellana clenched her teeth, _we haven't talked in a long time. How long is he going to avoid me over a stupid argument? Sera and I have them all the time and yet we're still okay._

"Someone will need to lead the soldiers," Cassandra noted, "I'm also going with them." Varric and Sera were the only ones left and Lavellan sighed dejectedly, shoulders slumping that nobody wanted to come with her. She stole a glance at the tevinter mage beside her, _I don't know much about tevinters except that everyone in this room doesn't seem to trust him. Is this shem that dangerous? He helped at the chantry and he's risking everything to go against his former teacher._ She nervously chewed on the corner of her lip, _even I wouldn't have courage to stand up to the Keeper like that._

Varric gave the city elf a skeptical look then shrugged, "Me and Buttercup will go with you then."

"What?!" Sera quietly seethed, "Don't talk for-"

"It's settled then," Leliana nodded to the group, "The Herald's team will be the distraction for the troops."

"Everyone get ready and grab what you need," Ellana worriedly watched the clearly disgruntled archer as she spoke, "We set out immediately." _She's upset with the decision._ As the group and advisors slowly filtered out of the war room, the mage was left alone with Sera. "If you don't want to come, you can stay here. I know-"

"What do you know?" Sera spat and crossed her arms, "Friggin' creepy shite, this stupid magic piss. You love this kinda crap, you dunno what it's like-"

"Then tell me if I don't know," Lavellan's patience whittled down to nothing just at the prospect of insults and arguments, "When it comes to these things, you never tell me anything. You expect me to-I don't know-read your mind and magically understand! I can't do that." She sighed frustratedly, "We can't afford to be at each other's throats right now," the mage wracked her brain for answers to break the tension in the room, then she remembered Sera's promise.

 ** _When we come back from Redcliffe, I'm showing you my way of what desire_** ** _actually_** ** _means._**

Cautiously inching closer to the archer, Lavellan places her hands on Sera's shoulders who shrugged them off and silently glared back. "D-desire. You were going to show me, after we came back?"

"Tch," Sera scoffed and brushed past the mage, "Yeah, in your fucking dreams. Let's just go get this shit done and over with."

* * *

"Aww," Lavellan's shoulders slumped in disappointment as the team made way across the bridge, "I wanted to blow the gates up."

"That would have been quite a party," Dorian quipped, "The grand display of fireworks would certainly convey a warm-welcome and show Alexius how excited we are to see him."

"Exactly, right?!" Ellana grinned childishly, the sarcasm was lost on her and Dorian rolled his eyes.

"I can't tell if you're serious or joking."

"Oh she's serious alright," Varric chuckled, "You'll see soon how much Thorns loves blowing shit up."

"That's concerning, I've been called shit numerous times and would hate to have come this far only to be blown up now."

"Who called you shit?" Lavellan glanced at the tevinter mage, her coal eyes had swirls of anger boiling in the tiny amber specks, "I'll blow them up. You're okay though," she patted the tanned man's shoulder, "So don't worry! Oh there's the signal the troops are going in now. Shall we go say hello?" Each time Varric and Dorian answered her or laughed, the dalish elf's heart faltered. For the duration of the trip and now, Sera barely talked nor even looked at her. It didn't help when they neared the castle that she could smell the nervousness radiating from the archer, but knew that if she had attempted to comfort she'd just be shot down like so many times before. _I don't understand, I haven't done anything wrong..._ Lavellan nodded to the gate guards and climbed up the steps, _faster we get this done, the faster she'll be at ease._

Impatience got the best of her with the man who greeted them and demanded her companions stay back, she approached him with the intention of punching him out the way before Varric warned the young man it'd be wise to let them pass. Her blood boiled at the sight of Alexius, _he intended to trap us,_ she crossed her arms as she stared at the calm mage on the throne. "An'eth'ara, Harellan."

"I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, I'm not well-versed in barbaric dialect."

"My apologies lord," Lavellan mockingly bowed and grinned mischievously on the way back up, "It was but a humble greeting. So," she stepped forth and got closer to the throne steps before the guards unsheathed their weapons. Alexius rose his hand and shook his head.

"Now, you don't think our welcomed guest would come all this way just to cause trouble, do you? Sheathe your weapons," Alexius intertwined his fingers and clasped his hands in front of his mouth, his coy smile hidden behind. "Even we must entertain the notions of barbarians. Enlighten me, Herald, what say the elf that hails from tribal savages, what is your opinion of the breach?"

"Drop the act," Lavellan cracked her knuckles, "or I'll drop one in your face. I know you intend to kill me, so how about we fight fairly, one-on-one?"

"You cannot be serious," Alexius rose his hand to signal the guards.

"Put down your weapons and your lives will be spared," Ellana glared at the guards, "Resist and die. Your choice, is it worth following-" she side-stepped to dodge one of the soldiers and whipped the edge of her palm against his neck, the effortless blow knocked him unconscious. Before the guards had a chance to retaliate the Inquisition troops stormed the hall and forced them to surrender, Lavellan smirked in victory at the panicked look on Alexius's face.

"See reason," Dorian implored as he joined the dalish mage on the throne steps, "Can't you see this is madness?" As Ellana turned to signal to the troops, she spun back around when Alexius angrily shouted. Her eyes widened at the large black orb, neither she nor Dorian reacted fast enough and both were swallowed by the darkness.

"Fenedhis," Lavellan grunted and clutched her head as a pounding ache seized her mind. Water drenched most of her body and she slowly clambered back on her feet, the sloshing and squishing of her clothes along with the wet chain-link armor was incredibly uncomfortable. That however, was the least of her worries when two venatori guards burst into the cell, the dalish mage reacted quickly and rushed forward, both arms set ablaze. She rests her palms on their chest plates and channels the flame forth, the force and impact of the explosive heat sends them flying back and slamming into the walls with a sickening crunch.

"Marvelous work," Dorian grunted behind her and the dalish mage whirled around, startled that she wasn't alone. She helps him stand and inspects his body, _no wounds, he's okay too then. Good._ "I've never seen someone command the element of fire quite the way you do. Natural and-"

"That isn't important," Lavellan urged, "Where are we? I've never seen this part of the castle." _We have to get back to the others and make sure everyone is alright._

"Alexius must have displaced us but I don't really know, and we won't find answers standing here."

"Right," Ellana nodded, "Are you alright to walk on your own?"

"That's different," Dorian chuckled softly, "Most would ask if I'd need help staying on the ground." He smirked when the dalish elf tilted her head in confusion, "Ah right, sarcasm is lost on you. I'm quite alright thank you for asking. Now let's move shall we? Preferably somewhere sunny and not decorated with dangerous glowing red rocks."

* * *

It didn't take much for Lavellan to completely snap and be consumed by wrath along with the absolute need for vengeance. Dorian had struggled to keep the mage calm when they had encountered prisoners succumbed to the brutality and insanity of red lyrium, but the worst was when one of the prisoners turned out to be the healer from the Inquisition camp. She raced through the halls after Grand Enchanter Fiona informed them of Leliana along with other Inquisition members, all slaves to the effects of the lyrium. "Calm down!" Dorian shouted as he sprinted up the stairs to catch up with the dalish mage, "We need to keep our head on our shoulders!"

Ellana ignored him and frantically scanned the environment, blowing away one of the doors to reveal another chamber with jail cells. "Release everyone here," she rushed to the bars and grabbed them, tears threatening to take her as her rage escalated. Flames erupted from her hands and melted the iron, the metal hopelessly caved in to the searing pressure.

"There's no time," Dorian grabbed her shoulder and immediately retracted his hand as the steam bit flesh, "We need to get back to our time to fix this, this future will-"

"It's already happened! It's here, now, it's real to them! Release them!" Her muscles strained and protested as she forcefully pulled apart the bars, "Disgusting, why would he do this? How?! Who in their right mind looks at this and-" A quiet chant reached her ears and she froze, head snapping in the direction to the source of the voice. _No, please…_ She passed the tevinter mage and he reluctantly followed her into the next chamber, dread filled Ellana as the voice became easily discernible. Her steps hastened and she struggled not to trip over her own feet, soft white-noise rang in her ears and nausea threatened to overwhelm her senses.

"We walked and waked where willows... No. Where willows wail, we waited... No. Where willows...? Ugh, remember, stupid! They can't take that..."

"Sera!" Lavellan gripped the bars and reached one arm through, her heart squeezed painfully when the archer reeled back and flattened herself against the wall. "It's me, I'm here, I'll get you out!"

"No, no, NO! You can't be here! You're dead, and they don't come back!"

The dalish elf glared at Dorian behind her, "Alexius will **pay** for this. Start mourning for him, for even his own god will not. I will make that shem suffer." Ellana worriedly looked back at the frightened elf, "Sera I swear on the Creators it's me, it's really me. I know you don't trust me, but trust in this!" Flames licked the bars and she struggled to bend them outwards, her fatigued muscles burned with the fire she  hated.

"I believe this will help more," Dorian walked beside her and waved a key in her face, "We could've released everybody with the key instead." He sighed as the dalish mage paid no mind to him and he braced himself, squeezing his arm in between the small space and inserting the key into the lock. As the cell door swung open Lavellan nearly went flying towards the archer, having not expected the door to suddenly move. Neither listened to Dorian's explanations nor his urges to keep moving, and Sera found herself trapped in the tightest embrace the dalish woman could muster.

"You're really here?" Sera croaked out, "It's really you..." She buried her face in the crook of Ellana's neck and stiffled her tears, "The day you died? I ran out of arrows making them pay, then it didn't matter anymore." She squeezed harder when the elven mage tried to push away and breathed quietly, "Needed this so much," she craved the warmth, for too long her skin's been cold. Not even actual fire did anything for her, her sensation for heat disappeared the same day the infuriating dalish woman left her life. "Don't go again."

"I won't," Lavellan whispered softly, "We have to stop this. I won't rest until I watch that shem burn and listen to him **scream**." She grinned sadistically as she looked at Dorian, "Let's throw a warm welcoming party and show how excited we are to see Alexius, I call the fireworks."

* * *

Relentless, undaunted, her insatiable blood-lust served well to set everything ablaze to destroy the horrid evidence of Alexius's crimes. Lavellan's wrath was the key source to her seemingly infinite flames, the chaotic swirls burning bright with multitudes of color. It would have been beautiful, if it wasn't so deadly. Sera's mouth gaped as the dalish mage stormed through the venatori ranks as if it were nothing, as if the hopelessness of the situation hadn't even bothered her. _Don't she know this can't be fixed? Blowing shit up won't stop the world from ending,_ her lips curled into a smirk, _yer speeding up the process luv…_

When they reached the main hall, nobody could snap the elven woman out of her fury as she pounded on the main doors and unleashed wave after wave of fire. "Go find the whatevers you need," Sera told Dorian and nodded to the group, "I'll watch her, we'll be fine." As the companions split up and hesitantly left the two in the hall, Sera turned around and sighed, "Don't think even demons would be stupid enough to attack us with a raging tit literally on fucking fire." _This is so like you,_ the archer's heart squeezed painfully, _to disappear and come exploding back as if nothing ever changed._ Her eyes watered and she cautiously approached the mage, _I should have taken the chance when I had it._ Hesitantly reaching out and gently grasping Ellana's shoulder as she hopelessly slams her fists against the door, Sera whispers softly, "Take a break before you burn yourself out luv. Need to roast the arsehole, not smoke him right?"

At that, Lavellan slumps down on her knees and chokes out a frustrated cry, face buried in her palms as tears poured freely. The heart wrenching sobs were more than the archer could bear especially when she so desperately craved Ellana to be her usual radiant self, to keep her hope lit and alive. "Shh," Sera knelt behind her and wrapped her arms around the inferno mage, the intense warmth comforting and calming herself as she did, "Everything will be alright."

"It's not," Ellana hiccuped and muffled in her hands, "Not alright."

"Turn 'round and look at me luv," Sera grinned reassuringly as the elven woman hesitantly complied, "Shite, you look worse than I do." Her grin grows larger at the soft chuckles, "There we go, I've missed that sound..." _This is my only chance, she's gonna disappear again,_ her heart squeezed painfully and dread formed a thick lump in her throat, _and I'm gonna die soon…_ "Know what we should do when we get in there?" She reached into her quiver and pulled out an arrow, "Should set the arrow-head on fire, that way when I nail the arsehole in the dangle-bags, his nuts will explode. Yeah," her heart fluttered at the mage's childish grin, "Knew you'd like that." _Missed your stupid face too, missed you annoying me, even missed your elfy shite…_ She embraced Ellana and buried her nose in the firebrand hair then inhaled deeply, _ashes, smoke and wood,_ her lips curled into a soft smile. The scent she so craved gave her the comfort and security she hadn't felt since the mage's death. The mere presence of the dalish elf calmed her and instilled the hope she lost long ago, "Everything will be okay Ena. You'll beat this like you always do."

"You won't," Lavellan clutched the archer's shirt with her dear life as her voice threatened to break on her, "It's not right, leaving you here. Come with me." _That's right. This is my only chance, I'll never get it ever again._

"Heh, asking for the impossible luv. Besides you can't handle two of me and," Sera parted then framed the mage's face with her palms, "I wouldn't be able to handle it even if it was me doing this..." _That clueless look in your eyes._ ** _Love_** _it._ Sera tilted her head and tenderly pressed her lips against Ellana's, the way the elven woman immediately relaxed like putty in her hands and the molten heat of the mage's mouth ignited the archer. _So this is what it's like,_ she mused as she deepened the kiss, _way better than I ever dreamed._ When she felt Lavellan clutch even tighter before her hands dropped and snuck under her shirt Sera pulled back, _what the, that ain't right…?_ "You tellin' me you know what-"

"I don't," Ellana huskily whispered as her smoldering coal eyes swirled with the bright amber specks, "I don't understand any of this, but every part of me is screaming to get closer to you, touch you. Why?" A brief frown swept her features and she looked down at her hands hidden under the archer's shirt, "Why won't you warm up?" Something about the desperate tone as her voice wavered cut daggers in Sera's dead heart, she didn't have it in her to tell Lavellan.

So she didn't.

Capturing the tattooed lips in another kiss, the warmth that coursed through her system was unrelated to the heat the mage worried over but this didn't bother Sera at all. All that mattered to her now was teaching Ellana her way. She parted when she felt lightheaded and rested her forehead against the mage's, grinning as she gazed in the confused orbs swirling with questions, _still doesn't get what this means, no surprise there._ "Said I'd show you didn't I?" _Too bad I won't get to see what playing with fire in bed is like, but that's okay. This is more than enough,_ "This is what desire  actually means. My way, anyways. Better than the forehead if you ask me," she smirked when Ellana absent-mindlessly nodded, still dazed. "So good, it even fried yer flames-for-brains?" Sera yelped in surprise then erupted in laughter as the mage eagerly tackled her, _even forgot how I sound when I laugh. Now how can I make this clueless tit understand so that when she goes back she fucks me senseless?_ Her fingers dance and skip along Ellana's thighs then rest on her hips, "Ena, can you promise me something?"

"Anything," Lavellan croaked out, her eyes conflicted with a wild torrent of emotions she had trouble understanding. Curious, she bends down and experimentally presses her lips against the city elf's before parting, "How do you do it? When you did it, it…" Her eyebrows knitted together in frustration, "It did something to me, I don't understand."

"That's something you'll figure out with your Sera when you go back," _shite it's confusing to talk about me like this._ Her grin swept her features, _your Sera huh? Owe me for this, past Sera. Or now Sera? Fuck this hurts my head,_ "Anyways, when you go back… Set me on fire." She chuckled at the bewildered look on the mage's face, "Not literally ye daft tit, c'mere," she reached out and pulled Lavellan down to her chest and kissed the top of her head as she mumbled embarrassingly, "My soul… Or whatever. And kiss me all the time, you've got a whole year of kissing to do to make it up to me, got it? If you don't I'll shove an arrow up yer arse. Promise it."

Without missing a beat, Ellana rose her head and gazed in the archer's eyes, her resolve clear and sincere, "I promise it. I swear it on the Creators."

"Don't work if I don't believe in elfy stuff."

"I swear it on your life then."

"What?! Why my life ye half wit?!"

"Because," Lavellan stated as if it was the most obvious fact in the world, "You're my favorite thing in the world."

"Thought that was fire?" Sera felt as though her chest was going to explode, _who woulda known yer mouth could blow things up in a good way..._

"It is," Ellana propped herself up on her elbows and grinned childishly, "You're the wildfire in my soul, the one that I can't contain, the one that I can't control. Var sa'vhenan."

"Dunno what that means but sure. Veh none you too..." Sera chuckled at the genuine glee dancing in the vibrant coal eyes and whispered affectionately.

"Weirdo. Now kiss me **my** way."


	11. Second Chance

****Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!****

 ** **AN:**** Wow! When I woke up and saw the emails of how many reviews I had gotten, I thought two things, "Did I cross a line? Is someone going to beat me up?" And then "Maybe Inverse and I weren't the only ones waiting for a kiss" :P It felt like waking up to Christmas morning and seeing a whole lot of presents, so thank you for taking the time to review every chapter ScarletWolfx! It's certainly kindled my flickering hopeful fire if people are in fact enjoying what they read :)

It's actually interesting to see how you point these things out because when I write, I just write in the mindset of the "Now" for both characters and don't pay attention to the leaps and bounds they've already covered, only how it's changed them and offered a little more understanding (that is, until the next misunderstanding). As for your questions in chapter 8 Sera repeats ma nuvenin ma vhenan'ara yep you got it! As you wish, my heart's desire.

* * *

 **Explaining Ellana Lavellan**

 **Random Tidbit:** Depending which language you look up, Ena relatively means "passionate" and "fiery". This nickname has played a large role in helping me flesh out her personality. I hope this part will help you understand her character, one main thing to keep in mind is this:

She's a dalish elf.

The way I think of [dalish] elves is that they have a certain degree of primal instincts they are in tune with, more animal-like you could say (hence how our two elves have heightened senses). Now pair that with Lavellan's element: Fire, and when you think of fire, what words come to mind? Warmth of course, but what about the traits of fire? It can be virtually anything, from wild or graceful, lashing out angrily or passionately, to a soothing warmth, tame and calm. It's pure but it needs someone to tend to it, it can warm you up or burn you down. Because of her energetic and primal nature, Ellana's better suited to exploring and fighting on the battlefield rather than feelings since we-as a social culture-place names to such feelings and grow up being educated in them. Lavellan doesn't have that luxury especially when the Keeper neglects to mention the dangers of streaking :P And why would she? In a small tight-knit clan centered on family and survival, [the implications of] romance is something people find out on their own or are taught by their parents.

In this case, Lavellan is forced to find out on her own (especially since her immediate family members have all passed away). So when Ellana said she knew a "different way", she meant that it was different from Sera's, now having experience that most of their arguments center around what Lavellan doesn't know. She's increasingly aware of how the two are vastly different and therefore have different methods: like the kiss. Sera's learned that a kiss is [usually] a product of lust and pleasure, Ellana has learned that a kiss [on the forehead] is to help the children sleep and is a product of comfort (don't worry, she'll know differently very soon.)

As for the instincts part, many of us do things without thinking about it yet when asked why sometimes we wonder that ourselves. In this case, think of instincts as that little voice at the back of your head, subtle but powerful enough to move you. Lavellan doesn't know the why, only that she wants to and is trying to figure it out by following her curious whims. As a philosophy teacher once proved to me [if you think about it] "Common sense does not exist." What is deemed common? Each person develops their "common sense" based on their experiences, and therefore we cannot assume that one who lives as a nomad would understand love the way we understand. Whew what a mouthful! I could go on and on to explain Ellana's character but then I'd be writing her biography! Hopefully future chapters will help flesh her out a little more :)

* * *

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _Fenedhis:_ No really, why am I even adding this in here anymore :P

 _Din'an:_ Death

 _Nan:_ Revenge

 _Lin:_ Blood

 _Ma emma harel, era'harel:_ You should fear me, demon-mage

 _Ma vhenan'ara:_ My heart's desire

 _Var sa'vhenan:_ Our hearts are one

 _Ma vhenan:_ My heart

 _Little stitched X's:_ I know it's not elvhen, but when you see this I'm referring to the leather armor Sera wears on top of her tunic (the one with the shoulder pads and serves as a 'breastplate')

* * *

 **Second Chance**

* * *

"Ahem," the Seeker's eye twitched as the people she had tried to gain the attention of for the past five minutes remained in their own little world, she coughed exaggeratedly and tried again, "AHEM."

Nothing.

"Maker," Cassandra breathed and stomped to the dalish mage, effortlessly lifting her by the collar and pulling her away from Sera. Snapped out of their reverie, the archer is the first to bellow out in gleeful laughter as Ellana hopelessly struggled for the warrior to let go. "Herald you have to go back," the Seeker's eyes reflected sadness as the dalish mage immediately slackened and ceased fighting, staring at the ground instead. "You still have a chance to change this, make it right."

"And what about all of you?" Lavellan pleadingly looked at the warrior then trailed at the solemn group behind her, noting new and unfamiliar faces, "How can you say 'make it right' when I'm leaving you behind?"

"We do not belong in this time," Dorian urged as he made way to the elven woman, "This is not our world. And if we don't go back, our world will suffer the same fate. Is that what you want?" He brushed past her and went to the main door, taking out the shards out of his satchel, "Because I do not want to stay here and die knowing that it will repeat twice over. That's just rubbing salt in wounds, which wouldn't matter since we'd be dead anyways." As he carefully placed each shard into the door he turned around, "Don't be a party-pooper, didn't you want to greet Alexius?" At that, Ellana's attitude shifted and her eyes flashed dangerously as a wolfish grin spread among her lips. "So that is what makes you change your mind?"

"What didjya expect from the weirdo?" Sera teased, affection heavily lacing her preferred pet name for the elven woman.

"You're the weirdo!" The two chuckled and shared mischievous grins, Lavellan cracked her knuckles, "Time to get the fireworks started then." They pushed open the door and the dalish mage hastily strode to the throne, freezing in place as her fire snuffed out just at the look of the magister. Her heart had beckoned to reach out to him, the man had so obviously looked broken, despondent, she couldn't sense any fire in him whatsoever.

"I knew you'd come back some day," Alexius muttered sadly as he turned around, "Not that it actually matters anymore, nothing can cleanse the sins I've committed, to redeem myself of the atrocities."

"Why have you done this?" Ellana gestured behind her, "All this chaos, destruction, and for what?" Her temper flared when the man stayed silent, " **TELL ME**! Give me a reason, explain why you would-" she clenched her fists so tightly the cracks resounded in the barren hall. "Whatever you did," she seethed quietly, "It had better been worth tearing the world apart," she glanced over her shoulder at the archer then back at Alexius, " My world." Her eyes trailed at the familiar young man near Alexius and her heart dropped, "Felix?" _I don't sense anything in him, no life, he's…_ Her bubbling anger rapidly rose, _that's not even his spirit in that body!_

"My god," Dorian whispered as he hesitantly walked forth, "What have you done to him Alexius?" Leliana had stalked in the shadows and approached behind Felix, grabbing the ragdoll of a man and holding her dagger at his neck. Everyone had desperately pleaded her to put the knife down, everyone but Ellana. The Spymaster looked at her and she turned around, shaking her head and gritting her teeth at the sick sound of knife dragging across flesh. _Mercy,_ Lavellan reasoned to try and ease her troubled conscience, _he was nothing but a tortured puppet, trapped in a body long dead and decomposed._

As the angry wail shook the air the dalish mage whirled around but didn't react quickly enough, the group knocked back by the force of Alexius's magic. The atmosphere twisted and felt sick, unnatural, Ellana scrambled to her feet and rushed for the magister before irreparable damage would be done. She slid to a halt as demons spawned and surrounded her, _Fenedhis!_ "Keep going, I've got your back!" Dorian shouted as he ran to her side and unleashed lightning on the shades nearby her, the lingering electricity in the air made Lavellan tingle. Her eyes shot back to the rest of the group, each man and woman covering for each other and courageously fighting off waves of infinite demons.

Anger bursting back into life, Ellana nodded when her eyes met Sera's and she spun on her heel, sprinting to the throne and charging towards Alexius. The air shifted and twisted around the man and wind that reeked of death shot towards her, she quickly dove to the ground and rolled to the side. Scrambling up to her feet, her stomach churned and overwhelming nausea crashed down on her the closer she got to the mage, _disgusting, din'an magic._ Sweat poured out of every pore in her body as her insides wretched and somersaulted, she clamped her hand over her mouth, _I can't get close to him!_ She tried to force through it, but when she failed to react in time to another gust of wind and got hit she immediately keeled over and puked, her vision blurring from the sweat that got in her eyes. Difficulty mustering any sort of fire she shuffled back for space in an attempt to appease the overwhelming sickness, eyes darting back to the group. Her nerves snapped, several cut down and the horrendous sight of mutilated bodies and dismembered limbs littered the battlefield. She scanned for Sera, wrath choking her when she couldn't find the archer.

Dorian had been shouting at her but the agonizing screams and the thick smell of metal smothered her senses, bile rose as she helplessly watched Varric torn apart by a Terror as if he were nothing. _Nothing. This is the future,_ Ellana's anger clouded her mind in a thick haze and the heat intensified, smoke rose from her skin and soon she was engulfed by the hungry flames of wrath itself. _Our future. And I can't do anything to stop it._

 ** _Nan._**

The scent of death smothered her, the sight petrified her, the hopelessness of it all fanned the fire as she attempted to move towards Alexius again. Gust after gust struck her but the bile was nothing compared to the feelings the battlefield behind spurred within her. One foot ahead of the other, the inferno that threatened to consume her being lashed out, she had no control anymore and her life was now in Lady Luck's hands. _Don't give up!_

 ** _Lin._**

Flames illuminated the throne and rose higher, soon the winds that reeked of death seemingly disappeared and Ellana had begun to feel herself again, and the panicked look in Alexius's eyes as she closed in and wrapped her hands around his neck ignited sadistic feral urges within her. "Ma emma harel, era'harel."

"Monster," Alexius spat in her face menacingly, "You're the devil himself!"

" **THAT'S YOU**!" Lavellan tightened her grip on the man's throat and watched with pure glee as the steam melted the flesh, the skin felt like rubber against her hands. She released her grip and grasped the top of his hood, dragging the man as he gurgled on his own blood. She forced him to kneel before the fireplace and forcefully held his hands inside the flames, grinning madly at his futile struggle when he thrashed against her. "What's wrong?! You wanted to be cleansed of sin, fire burns it all clean. Purifies," her howls of laughter sounded more like mournful cries than delight, "You don't get to die so easily, so quickly. You'll pay for  all the lives you've ruined, the world you've condemned to destruction demands vengeance!" She threw him back away from the flames and straddled his waist, one hand choking his crippled throat and the other hovering above his face.

"This is nothing, it's not nearly enough to answer for your crimes," each of her fingertips morphed into tiny little flames themselves, "I'll carve that in your face!" Before she had the chance however, blood sputtered on her face as an arrow penetrated the tormented man's skull and ended his misery. She glared angrily at the archer responsible, rage flaring and burning hotter when Sera had seemed equally as angry. "Why?!"

"You've got to get the fuck out of here, we can't last forever! Don't let me die just so you can burn a guy who's already fucking dead! Moustache, where the fuck are you take this dim wit and go!"

At that Dorian dodged one of the shades and ran forth towards the throne while the remaining fighters covered him, eyes briefly glancing sadly at his mutilated former-mentor before grabbing the amulet. He stopped the dalish mage from rushing into the battle by grabbing her wrist, "We can't! If you move, we all die!"

Leliana gritted her teeth and bumped shoulders with Sera, the two exchanging a look and nodding to each other, both unstrapping their quivers and pouring the arrows out on the floor. They knelt at the bottom of the throne's steps, Ellana fought for control of her urges as the scent from the archer filtered in her nose. _She's right there! I can touch her_ , trying to stand still was the hardest battle she's ever fought as she watched the two women reach for an arrow on the ground and simultaneously shoot whatever was nearest. Bile rose in her throat again and her heart squeezed painfully when an arrow tore through the Spymaster's shoulder, her body screamed at her to move. Her heart threatened to burst and the world turned misty, un-shed tears burned her eyes. "Leliana! Sera! Come with us!" The Spymaster seemingly ignored her, but Sera turned around with a large reassuring grin, touching her temple with two fingers and briefly saluting to the elven mage.

"Don't forget to kiss the fuck outta me, veh none a-" Lavellan's eyes widened in horror and her mind threatened to shatter as blood clouded her vision.

An arrow ripped straight through Sera's throat.

The archer slumped backwards on the throne steps, red eyes wide open in pain before they ceased to shine as the life in them disappeared. Ellana's body sprang into action, "Sera!" Instead of moving forwards however, strong arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her, carrying her backwards into the black portal, " **LET** **GO** **OF ME**!" She thrashed helplessly, even going so far as trying to muster the flames she no longer had to try and burn Dorian off of her, " **SERA**!" Leliana quickly draped herself over the archer's body to shield it from being torn apart in front of the dalish elf, offering a pained smile as she whispered softly before the darkness swallowed the two mages.

"Go save us, give us a second chance."

* * *

Crashing to the floor, Ellana made no attempt to move and stared blankly at the ceiling, the fire in her coal eyes snuffed out and now looked dead. Dorian stood and dusted his robes, smirking cockily at Alexius as if nothing had ever happened, "You'll have to do better than that!" He glanced at the elven woman on the ground, expecting her to snap and go ballistic once more. Hesitantly he asked, "How… Do you want to deal with him?"

"I don't," Lavellan muttered numbly and propped up on her elbows, her empty eyes trailing to the magister, "Alexius cannot be punished for crimes he has not yet committed. Do what you want, I don't care." At that she stood, shoulders slumped and body shriveled and aching. The exhaustion of the haunting battle was burned vividly into her mind, every time she blinked she saw the mutilated corpses of her friends, she smelled their blood that stained the walls and painted the tiles.

Looking at the hall and peering at so many hopeful, proud faces served to do the opposite, instead of comforting her it reminded her of her failure. She slowly wove through the concerned crowd and rose her voice slightly, the emotion and life it once carried was now nothing but a distant memory. "Let the mages free, let them choose if they are willing to our allies or not I don't care anymore." Brushing past her companions, her hollow eyes gazed at the floor as her body moved of its own accord, mindless of where she had actually wanted to go. Everything felt numb, she couldn't feel angry or sad even if she wanted to, tried to in fact.

Nothing.

Lavellan hated this 'feeling', if you could even call it that. She paid no attention and couldn't hear the others call out to her, she was trapped in her own world. When she went outside, she laughed pathetically as she looked at the sky, "So pretty," she spat vehemently, "So fucking pretty. Only for a year." _What's the point of fighting? What can one stupid idiot do to stop all of that?_ She vaguely registered a familiar smell behind her and the air of nervousness it carried, the unsure steps hesitantly nearing her.

 ** _Don't forget to kiss the fuck outta me, veh none a-_**

"Ma vhenan'ara," Ellana whispered quietly, "I can't. It wouldn't be right of me after I..." She bit down on the corner of her lip so hard her sharp canine penetrated the soft flesh and blood steadily trickled down.

"What wouldn't be right?" _Don't be stupid, you saw and let her die. She's not here._ The dalish mage slowly turned around but she couldn't muster the courage to look at the woman in front of her. Her lips opened and closed, her face contorted and eyes glistened. "O-oi, your mouth!" _She's not beside me anymore, just like Samahl._ The dam broke, the torrent of emotions came flooding all at once and threatened to drown the mage. Creators, how she hated not knowing how to deal with these things. She clenched her fists and her legs buckled beneath her, howling in sorrow at the loss of her best friend and wallowing in the despair that she could do nothing to stop it.

Nothing.

The existence of the word alone repeatedly stabbed her heart and forcefully ripped apart even the little threads that desperately tried to remain together. "I promised," Ellana choked out in between cries as the archer hastily rushed to her side. Elvhen rites for the dead swirled at the back of her mind but she couldn't force herself to utter the words, especially when her last peaceful images of Sera played over and over again like a broken record.

 ** _Ena, can you promise me something?_**

"I **PROMISED** dammit!"

 ** _Set me on fire. Promise it. Weirdo._**

"I try really hard to keep my promises, you didn't even let me try! Why'd you make me promise then, you're the weirdo!"

 ** _Veh none you too. Make it up to me, got it?_**

" **FUCK**!" She slammed her fists into the dirt, every muscle tensed painfully and set the wounds she sustained during battle on fire, the searing stinging was nothing compared to the crushing agony as her heart threatened to explode on her. The elven woman hadn't registered the arms wrapped tightly around her, the whispers in her ear of comforting words that held no weight for her. Her mind was covered in a thick fog of red: red rage, red inferno, red blood.

Blood.

Creators, what she'd give to lose her sense of smell right now, the rusty metallic scent wouldn't leave her alone. Like raw iron and wet muck mixed together, Lavellan desperately lowered her head to the dirt and inhaled deeply. That was the worst thing she could do, she hadn't noticed her tears had thoroughly soaked the dirt beneath her and the scent engulfed her. Tormenting memories plagued her senses once more, she felt like she was in the hall again. She stood helplessly, the deaths of her friends replayed over and over again. "Why," Lavellan whispered, "Why'd you make me promise that?"

 ** _That's something you'll figure out with your Sera when you go back._**

Overpowering pressure squeezed what was left of her, shouts navigated through the red haze smothering her mind. Salt filtered in the array of smells, the heavy aroma waged war against the blood that reluctantly conceded it's control over the mage. Slowly but surely her senses came back one by one: she could smell and taste something bitter mixed with the saltiness, feel cool skin, see little stitched X's, and hear what her mind desperately tried to hide from her heart. It was then she registered she had been staring at leather, with tingles that hummed along her nerves as fingernails raked against the back of her scalp. One arm held her firmly as the other massaged, and when she hesitantly looked up as far as her head would allow her to go the weight of the realization made her body stiffen. "Sera…?" _But I watched her die?_ Disoriented as her senses continually alternated between realities, the haunting experience lingered in the back of her mind as her heart hammered with hope.

"'Bout time," Sera whispered quietly and reluctantly parted from the mage, "The heck were you screaming for weirdo?" A soft smirk tugged on the corner of her lip, "You training to wake up the whole village?" _She's really here... Alive!_ The city elf yelped in surprise as Ellana tackled her, arms squeezing her waist with a crushing hold as she buried her face in Sera's chest, waves of feelings she did and didn't understand crashed down on her once more. She didn't care about knowing or not, her instincts demanded to be as close as elvhenly possible to the archer and realized she didn't need a reason, didn't need to know, to place a name on these emotions.

Only to feel.

 ** _Everything will be okay Ena. You'll beat this like you always do._**

"Can't breathe," Sera wheezed and let out a sigh of relief as the elven woman loosened a little, "Whew, much better." She looked down and grinned, "I'm still mad at you, need to give me a reason to let you hug me."

 ** _And kiss me all the time, you've got a whole year of kissing to do._**

"Even for hugs?"

 ** _If you don't I'll shove an arrow up yer arse. Promise it._**

"Yup. Better be a bloody good reason too, or I'll shove a- _mmpfh_?!"

 ** _I promise it._**

Smothering the plump lips with her own, Lavellan poured what remained of her battered spirit and soul in the searing kiss. _It's not enough, closer,_ she pressed in harder, unaware that the archer hadn't reciprocated and tensed with each passing second. _Closer, how?_ The emotion welling up in her chest was infuriating her, she desperately sought the answer in the stunned city elf's wide eyes. She adjusted and stabilized herself, placing her hands on either side of Sera's head before leaning down and capturing her mouth once more.

 ** _Var sa'vhenan._**

 _More,_ the sensations conjured in her first kiss came back when she felt the archer's lips part and move seamlessly with hers. _It's happening again, what is this?_ Scorching flames threatened to consume her very soul but this time she had been frightened of it, it was not fire she had experience with. _Shemlen,_ it became increasingly difficult to keep conscious thought, _watching._

 ** _You're the wildfire in my soul._**

 _Not right… Closer,_ hands dancing under the archer's tunic, the contact and feeling of her skin was the spark that set her ablaze. Fire she had never felt coursed her veins, and when she felt Sera's tongue dip inside her mouth she had thrown caution to the wind and dove in, the inferno she so feared soon became her greatest passion.

 ** _The one that I can't contain._**

Ellana growled when the city elf tugged and sucked on her lip, the vague stinging of where she had accidentally bit herself scratched the edges of her consciousness buried by the haze. She roughly forced her tongue inside and unexpectedly discovered the city elf tasted a mix of sweet and bitter. Grunting when she felt fingernails rake along her scalp again, the mage had gotten fed up and parted much to Sera's displeasure then stood up, pulling on her arms and dragging her off.

 ** _The one that I can't control._**

"W-where," Sera croaked out breathlessly, "Are we going?"

"Doesn't feel right to do this in the middle of a courtyard with people staring," Lavellan rasped with a husky timbre in her tone even she had not recognized in herself.

"Huh?" The archer looked back, "Shit didn't even notice. Seeker looks like she gonna pop out demons from the steam comin' out her ears..." She grinned mischievously as she shouted out and waved the same way Ellana had before, "Look like ya enjoyed the show Cass, gotta pay for watching though!" She laughed as Lavellan yanked on her wrist and opened the door of a tower leading to the upper levels of the castle. The two disappeared inside before the flustered warrior could react, and Sera slammed the door shut then locked it as fast as she could. "Now what-" as she turned around Lavellan trapped her against the door and captured her lips, hands frantically exploring as if trying to find the answer to questions she didn't even know how to ask.

"Y-you're..." Ellana struggled when she parted, frustrated the words weren't coming to her, "I don't understand any of this, it's doing something to me. What's happening?"

Sera didn't know whether to laugh or cry first, "Still clueless, even after all that? And here I was wondering what else you've been hiding from me."

"Haven't been hiding anything," when the dalish woman looked down she froze for a moment, having thought she had seen the gaping hole with blood gushing out of Sera's throat. Dipping her head, she presses her lips where she saw the wound in a desperate attempt to reassure herself and stiffened at the guttural moan the city elf let out. In a panic she pulls back then searches Sera's eyes for any signs of pain, but was confused to see half-lidded and dilated orbs gazing back at her. 'It' spoke to her, called out to something in the depths, beckoned for… Something. Her blood boiled for not knowing what 'it' was, yet she had a feeling 'it' was something simple.

"T-thought," Sera breathed, "You didn't know how to kiss? If you tell me kids taught you how to make out with a friggin' neck I swear I'm gonna smack you so fucking-"

"I don't know what I'm doing or what this is," Ellana's tone held a silent, desperate plea, almost begging the archer for answers and she rambled anything that came to mind, "I only know I want you. Ma vhenan, I-" she growled frustratedly when Sera interrupted her with a chaste kiss and smirked at her obvious irritation, "Need to be close to you but I don't know how."

Sera grinned affectionately and patted her cheek, "That's okay, I'll teach ya. Promised, didn't I?" _What…?_ Realization dawned on her when her eager curiosity came back.

 ** _When we come back from Redcliffe, I'm showing you my way of what desire_** ** _actually_** ** _means._**

 _Oh,_ the mage's eyes danced with genuine joy and a contagious smile swept her features, "But we're still in Redcliffe."

"Seriously?" Sera's eyebrow rose skeptically, "You've got a problem with where we-"

"No," Ellana rested her forehead against Sera's and mirrored the city's elf mischievous grin. Sera rolled her eyes, she knew what was going to be said next and together they whispered in synchrony.

" **It's not a problem**."

* * *

Unfortunately, much to their displeasure it was indeed a problem for the woman banging on the other side of the door. Mood shattered and moment burned to ashes, Lavellan groaned frustratedly and seriously contemplated on blasting the door away. "I've done enough, no more saving the day go away!" Sera snickered quietly as the Seeker urged for the dalish elf not to do anything reckless and return to her senses, _really, you're telling_ _this_ _twat?_ After minutes of back and forth bickering, the mage caved in to her desires.

Ellana literally blew the door away.

Fortunately Cassandra had steered clear when she had noticed the faint orange glows seeping through the cracks before the explosion, wisely remaining silent when the elven woman stepped out and glared at her. "One more word and… And I don't know! I'll do something," Lavellan seethed, "I'm going to the inn." _Perfect, didn't really wanna do it against a bloody door anyways._ Sera's stomach churned with excitement and she never came down from her high, the throbbing ache in between her thighs had become increasingly frustrating with each step she took as she followed the mage. _Really wanna know where she learned how to fucking kiss like that, seriously what the hell's next? She secretly know how to give the best fucks too?_ She grinned mischievously, _and her smell, taste, shit_ _everything_ _about her..._ _Way better than I ever dreamed_ _._

Finally reaching the tavern after what seemed like eons of walking, the two found themselves surrounded by a rowdy and cheerful crowd, celebrating Alexius's defeat. Many had been the rebel mages that have learned they were free from the clutches of slavery, the news spread like wildfire when the magister was seen bound and stowed away on a wagon. Lavellan wove through the people and smiled tiredly to them, waving dismissively when they had invited her to party with them.

 _Piss off arseholes,_ Sera protectively watched over her as she trailed along, _me an' her are gonna have a party of our own._ The owner graciously offered them a room free of charge along with any food or drink they had wanted for the night, and oddly enough the mage declined to eat. _That's a first, usually food has her bouncing off the frigging walls too,_ she stayed close as Ellana trudged up the steps, _unsteady, what's wrong with her?_ The elven woman swayed slightly and braced herself against the wall, Sera helped by stabilizing her hips. "What's wrong luv?"

"Really tired," Lavellan mumbled, "Exhausted, spent, worn out, drained," _wow must be if she's tryin' to name all the words that mean the same shit,_ "Nothing barren blank clear and void, _fini_. All that's taken everything out of me. Got nothing left," she chuckled hoarsely, "Not even smoke." Sera couldn't help but be disappointed, _damn guess we won't get to toss up the sheets tonight. Ah well there's always tomorrow..._

 ** _I'll always have a chance_** _._


	12. Revelation

**Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!**

 **AN** **:** Hahaha your review is epic too Nyx! To be honest though much of this is thanks to BeyondXtreme as well, before I released the story she offered to take a look at all  five rough drafts (which were scattered and disjointed multiple scenes at the time) and gave comments on each scene as well as compiled one page of really helpful tips/ideas she's learned when she started writing.

Granted I've incorporated some and tossed out others, but it's much better that I'm laying bricks instead of putting up the foundation of the house. Unfortunately I haven't heard from her before I released the story, so BeyondXtreme whenever you see this I hope: 1) You haven't cracked your head open again, 2) No broken bones and 3) That I've made you proud! Thank you again for the kind review Nyx, as Ena would say it's time to smoke people! Keep your eyes peeled for select quotes/sentences brought back from past chapters (some more obvious especially if recent, some more subtle).

 **Quick explanation:** Ellana is conflicted about the promise because in her mind and as she understands it, she promised the  Future Sera. She isn't aware nor understands that Future Sera meant the promise was for the Present Sera.

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _Ar'din nuvenin na'din:_ I don't want to kill you

 _Vhenan:_ Heart

 _Ma emma sa'lath:_ Wouldn't you like to know what this means ;)

* * *

 **Revelation**

* * *

Something crashed into Sera's nose. **Hard**. She yelps and sits up immediately, eyes darting and adjusting to the dim-lit room as she scans for the offender. A light snore softly rang out and Sera looked down, jaw instantly dropping as she nearly fell off the bed in shock. _What the fuck?!_ Head snapping to the blankets thrown off the bed then back at Ellana, _I thought she said she'd take the couch!_ The moonlight filtered in the window and Sera's eyes subconsciously trailed around the sun-kissed body to each faint and fresh scar claiming its territory on the skin, and she knew the story of most of them. Urges to trace the scars occupied her mind but she quickly cast it out of her mind lest the urges escalate into something more… Desirable.

Looking down she noticed she was at the edge of the bed and glared at the mage, "Yer hoggin' the whole damn bed!" Another snore, "Wake up, gimme some room!" She shivered as the chilling draft swept through the room, "Hey!" _I'm cold but I can feel you burnin' up like crazy, no wonder you tossed off the sheets._ Shoving the mage across for space she desperately tries to stay on the 'innocent' parts of the dalish woman's body, her hands itched to touch and explore the naked canvas splayed before her. "Fuck, yer driving me nuts here Ena..." Her eyes once more guiltily take in the sight before her, the mage sprawled out on her back with one arm above her head and the other draped over her stomach. Lips parted, drool trickled down the corner of her mouth and her sharp canines glinted under the moonlight.

 _Ya look so damn happy, finally a good dream huh?_ Another light snore and Sera chuckled, _you trust me too much Ena..._ She grinned mischievously as her hand ghosted along the mage's forearm before retracting it immediately, more shivering unrelated to the chilling draft irritated her. She sniffled as she laid down and scooted closer to her improvised fireplace, "Ugh, shite still cold, least yer not yelling though. Shame you ain't yelling for the right reason..." It wasn't the first time Sera woke up during this particular night, when the two had finally made it into the room the archer struggled to keep Lavellan on her feet so that she wouldn't pass out and crash on the ground. The mage would occasionally mumble incoherently and then shout in her sleep, yet reacted to no outside stimulus. Sera could be shaking her as hard as she could and the elven woman would still be trapped in whatever dreams plagued her. Each time she did wake, it would be screaming Sera's name.

All she knew so far-courtesy to Dorian when him and Bull offered to be the ones that would stay behind in Redcliffe-was that something _really friggin' fucked up_ happened that sent the two into the future. Beyond that, the tevinter was reluctant to say and explained it wasn't his place to divulge sensitive information Lavellan may not want the archer to know. That merely peaked her curiosity and made things worse, but when she would try to squeeze it out of the mage the moments she had been awake, Ellana would immediately shut off and her coal eyes turned into hollow black orbs. Sera didn't know how to handle this situation, and the passionate kisses they shared at the castle seemed like an illusion her hopeful heart conjured. The despondent dalish was now an empty shell, barely even a reminder of the life she had hours ago.

Absent-mindlessly stroking Lavellan's matted hair bangs back and lightly raking her fingernails along the scalp, the archer chuckles softly when the toothy grin seemingly grew. _So happy, just coz of a bit of scratching._ Control wasn't easy for her especially with an enticing naked woman right there, right in front of her, her urges reassured her a simple touch would be harmless. On top of that, the heavy sleeper aspect ensured that should Sera happen to touch… Ellana wouldn't even know. This idea was constantly in her thoughts no matter how hard she tried to silence it, _could make her feel good. It'd help her forget,_ she contemplated before shaking her head, _fuck sake what am I thinking? I'd be exactly like_ _her_ _, and ain't no way that's ever gonna happen._ Regardless, it was still an option, a tactic if there was no other way to snap the dalish elf out of her recurring night terrors. _Kiss'd be fine by now though right? She finally made the first move,_ the archer smirked with pride as she gently straddled Ellana's hips and hovered inches away from her face, _did really good for her first time._ _If_ _that was her first time…_ For some reason it bothered her if she wasn't the mage's first, _what am I saying, ain't fair to her. Kissed plenty of pricks all my life,_ yet she couldn't shake the feeling.

 ** _Told you you're special to me._**

Sera gently locked lips and smiled in the one-sided kiss, _I wanna stay that way. What a joke that was the first time she said it, street rats ain't even worth two bits._ Her fingers itched and tingled, imploring and begging to explore, _never believed a single thing you said, always said that shit too easily. Words are words, anyone can say 'em._ The sensations the mage engulfed her in at the courtyard proved everything and more, _but now I know I was the bloody idiot all along. Too friggin' stupid to see you really do care. Even if I was blind I'd know with the way you…_ A dull ache began to throb in between her thighs, _maaaaaybe you were right with the fire soul thing whatever. Maybe. Still think it's elfy rubbish._ Her smile grew when she felt warm hands travel up the sides of her thighs and rest on her hips, searing lips reciprocating the kiss. _So_ _this_ _is what wakes you up? I can shake you, yell at you, sit on you and tickle you, but_ _this_ _is what wakes you up, seriously…_ When they parted, the dull ache surfaced to the forefront of her mind as she gazed at the amber specks that shone brightly, shadows blanketed the both of them.

"S-Sera?" Ellana rasped out as if in disbelief of something.

"If it wasn't me, somebody'd have a rotten fucking day if I caught 'em doing this to you."

"Why?" The genuine question made Sera want to groan and disappear, _shoulda known she wouldn't get this part even if she figured out how to actually kiss._

"Pay close attention, alright?" She saw the amber specks move up and down, "What we're doing is only between you and me, nobody else. Got it?" _Right, not so bad,_ the amber specks moved up and down again.

"But that still doesn't answer why."

Sera groaned and rested her forehead against the mage's shoulder, "Because, this kinda stuff… Should only be done with one person only." She felt the elven woman tense beneath her and her doubts lingered in her mind once more, _so… I'm not her first?_ Disappointment gnawed at her thoughts but she promptly squashed them, _I shoulda known. Wait then why didn't she kiss like this before?!_

"D-does it count," Ellana shifted uncomfortably under the city elf and Sera could see the amber specks move towards the windows, "What if..." She growled frustratedly at the words that couldn't come to her, and the archer didn't have it in her to speak. She focused on fanning the rising anger, _bet it was some elfy elf too, frolicking in the woods and taking advantage of this daft tit. Arrow for a-_ "It was you?"

"...What?" Sera leaned back and tilted her head in confusion, "I don't get it." _I'd remember if it was me._

"In Redcliffe," Lavellan let out a shaky sigh and her grip tightened on the archer's hips, _shit that's hot, literally. Definitely gonna leave a bruise._ Sera grasped the mage's wrists in an attempt to ease the hold but she squeezed more, "The future." At this her interest was peaked and the searing grip was cast to the back of her mind, _she's actually gonna talk 'bout it?_

"No rush yeah? Sorry for buggin' you so much about it, was just..." _Just what?_

"I would be too," _that don't help me,_ "It's about you. In the future." Every word was like hard physical labor, Ellana had forced it out between clenched teeth then let out a stuttering breath, "You showed me..." When the silence stretched and the mage didn't seem to want to continue, Sera gave her a brief kiss. _Now I know,_ her lips curled into a soft smile, _not curious, just worried._ "I watched you-" Lavellan sucked in a sharp breath and her fingers dug into the city elf's hips, "I couldn't..." Breathing became harder and the amber specks disappeared, Sera didn't know what was going on until she shook slightly. Her heart dropped and her throat squeezed painfully, _I dunno what to do with this mopey stuff._ The heat in the room fluctuated between really warm and really cold, the elven woman was fighting a losing battle with herself.

Ellana broke down in heart-wrenching cries.

"I couldn't do anything! You made me promise," _what did I make her promise?_ Sera chewed on the corner of her lip as she bent forward and pulled the mage up, tucking her head under the archer's chin. _I'm gonna shove a fucking arrow in future me's ass, why the hell would you be so friggin' stupid and make this half wit promise when you knew it was over?_ She winced as the fingers in her hips dug harder and the boiling tears soaked right through her shirt, stinging her skin. The heat she was wrapped in wasn't like Lavellan at all, it wasn't soothing and calming anymore.

It was as if the fire came from hell itself.

It threatened to consume the very essence of her being. The wrath and sorrow choked the life out of the atmosphere and each time the mage howled in rage or despair, Sera's body screamed at her to go and kill somebody with her bare hands. _Look at what you did,_ the archer's heart constricted and she could feel her eyes water, _you messed with_ _my_ _Ena, not yours._ Muffled knocks at the door snapped Sera out of her reverie but not the dalish woman. "Is everything alright in there?" _Moustache._

"'Nother nightmare," Sera stated tiredly, the exhaustion of being up for most of the emotionally-draining night was starting to get to her, "You really can't do anything 'bout this? At all?" At that the door hesitantly opened and Dorian walked inside, a small fire in his palm to light up the dark room. Ellana immediately stiffened in the archer's embrace and her head moved in the direction of the fire, her puffy eyes flickered with the flame.

"Maker!" Dorian spun on his heel, "Why is she naked?!"

"Oh you get used to this real fast," Sera chuckled softly, "Does it all the time, least she learned to do it in her rooms instead of every-bleedin'-where else. And no before you get like Cass, it's not coza me..." She mumbled lowly, "I wish it was." The fingers clutching her hips relaxed and Sera looked down only to find the mage completely entranced, "Ena? Did ye fry your flames-for-brains?" She didn't know whether to be scared or happy when Lavellan had laughed.

Laughed.

Ellana parted from the archer and slid off the bed, carefully strolling to Dorian, "Ena what the fuck are you doing?"

"Yes, what is she doing? Maker she's not about to molest me is she?"

"Dunno Moustache, can't ever tell what this tit's thinking," Sera didn't know quite what to make of the situation when Lavellan went in front of the tevinter mage and she hastily scrambled off the bed to see. Her mouth hung slightly ajar at the way the small flame illuminated the elven woman's eyes, dancing playfully with grace and life. Lavellan reached out and hovered her palm over Dorian's fire, her lips spread in a warm smile, _what the hell? Knew fire's her favorite but this is all she needed to quit crying?_ Sera and Dorian exchanged hesitant and concerned looks before back to watching the dalish mage.

 ** _I couldn't have asked for a better friend, especially one who becomes my fire when mine dies out._**

"I forgot something so important," Ellana mumbled as she played with the flame, a large childish grin swept her features when she snuffed out the fire and the shadows blanketed the three. Before Dorian and Sera could protest, they froze when an even smaller flame flickered from the dalish woman's fingertip. "Fire burns brighter in the darkness."

 ** _There is a small flame that flickers in you despite the darkness choking you_** _._

The amber specks glowed as they trailed to Sera, "Now I see it..." The fingertip fire swirled down and circled around her hand, "That promise wasn't for her, was it...?" _The hell is she talking about?_ Lavellan walked towards the archer and lifted her hand set ablaze, her grin growing in the fear evident in Sera's eyes yet she didn't run away. "You and her, you two are the ones that taught me the most important lesson of my life," _what? Didn't do nothing, ready to fucking piss myself though. She's not actually gonna burn me right?_ She shut her eyes and flinched when the orange glow illuminated beneath her eyelids, _what the fuck is she doing?!_ Despite the overwhelming fear, something commanded her to stay, _I'm gonna burn, why the hell is Moustache not doing anything?!_

 ** _It's a flame I've never seen or felt before and like a moth I'm drawn to it. You light me up._**

"Maker..." Dorian whispered breathlessly, "How…?" _He sounds like he's fucking enjoying this!_ Sera felt a warm palm touch her cheek yet the orange glow flickering-even with closed eyes-had grown brighter. _The hell?_ Curious, she peeked with one eye and her jaw dropped, Ellana had the largest lopsided grin and her eyes  roared with genuine joy and astonishment. The flames hadn't hurt or done any damage, it was the same warmth and security the mage usually conveyed. Sera was petrified, but when she gazed back at the coal eyes she slowly relaxed, _this is way too much fucking magic for me though. Where the fuck's she going with this?_ Affection heavily laced Lavellan's every word and the two never broke eye contact as the soothing warmth embraced them both.

"Hope is the only thing stronger than fear." _This friggin' clueless tit's got it all wrong again._

"Weirdo," Sera grinned at the gleeful glint in the coal eyes, "I never taught you that."

 _That's what_ _she_ _taught_ _me_ _._

* * *

When morning light filtered through Sera groaned and shielded her face with the pillow, "No… Come on can't I sleep for just one hour?" A soft snore rang out beside her and she grinned, _idiot, do you sleep walk? You passed out on the couch after Moustache left._ Removing the pillow she propped herself up on her elbow and gently traced mage's lips with her finger. "So friggin' bright in here and yer still knocked out like a light." _At least she don't seem to be having a bad dream._ Hesitant knocks at the door made Sera chuckle, _Moustache looked real uncomfy last night._ "She's still naked, and she sleeps like a log. Wanna set her arse on fire and see if that'll get her up?" She moved the blankets on her and covered the dalish mage before Dorian reluctantly stepped inside.

"You do realize that what she did to you last night is theoretically impossible?"

Sera shrugged, "Dunno, don't care. Don't want her to do it again though, that was creepy shite." Her eyes danced with amusement as the tevinter mage came closer, "You really gonna set her arse on fire? Oh this'll be bloody priceless."

"No. And I also don't think you understand the weight of what 'theoretically impossible' means, imp. It's almost like Alexius's-"

"Don't you dare say that name," Sera hopped off the bed and stomped towards the mage, eyes glaring daggers into him, "You saw what all that magic rubbish did to her, what he did. You were there with her, you know better." Dorian rose his hands in surrender and sighed.

"My apologies." More knocks brought their attention to the door, "Who is it?"

"Bull. You guys having trouble getting the Boss up? I can carry her back to Haven." The qunari opened the door and carefully walked in, mindful of the horns that's already given the inn new dents. His eyes shone with amusement at the dalish mage sprawled out on the bed before he caught Sera glaring menacingly at him. "Whoa don't worry, I know you bagged the Boss," he waggled his eyebrows playfully, "Or rather she bagged you. Pretty steamy yesterday, pun intended. Didn't think she'd give a shit about half the Inquisition watching."

"Yeah, yeah," Sera smirked with pride, "Anyways let's get her ass up, eyes off I'm gonna get her dressed." The two men gave them some extra space then turned around to face the wall and Bull glanced at Dorian.

"Boss seemed pretty upset 'bout the shit's that happened, how you holdin' up?" _Piss,_ Sera glanced over before going back to the task at hand, _guess I was a bit of a dick to him… Wasn't that Ale-tit his teacher or whatever?_ The distraction of the conversation served well to keep her urges in check as she worked on the mage's leggings, _never thought I'd dress somebody up, usually the opposite._

"As good as one can be after seeing their mentor literally burned alive," Dorian quipped with a hint of sadness in his tone, "Quite refreshing really. It's given me a new perspective on life: Don't piss off the Herald."

"That's rough," Bull replied, "For what it's worth, at least the guy's alright now. Even if he's fucking crazy."

"Aren't we all?"

"Mmng. Good point."

 _Still deserves an arrow up the arse if you ask me._ Ellana lulled around in the archer's arms as she worked on the 'shirt', _fuck sake you're so friggin' heavy!_ She let out a series of grunts as she tried to maneuver and keep the elven woman sitting up long enough to thread her arms through the holes. "I hope you're not doing what that sounds like, imp."

"Shut up Moustache!"

Bull's gruff laughter shook the room and Dorian couldn't help but join, Sera was the only one not laughing as she heaved the dead-weight around. "Arseholes, this ain't funny! She's really fucking heavy!"

"Well shit yeah," Bull remarked and stole a glance at the two then quickly looked away before the archer caught him, "She's been doing all the shit I showed her. Nuts. I thought she was joking about fighting me but she still asks me all the time."

"What?" Dorian asked incredulously, "She wants to fight you?"

Bull shrugged, "Like I said, nuts. Distracted her so far, looks like she'd be the type that'd get pissed off if she knew you went easy on her. Doesn't get I'd break her if I gave her a slap on the shoulder."

"Told ya, flames-fer-brains. She'll fight anything bigger than her." At long last Sera was finally able to get the shirt on and worked on the buckles next, making sure the waist buckle was extra tight to ensure the shirt wouldn't flap around freely. _Ain't giving everyone a free show, she's mine._ Her lips curled into a proud smirk at that, _mine huh?_

"Should take her dragon hunting then," Dorian suggested sarcastically, "I'm sure she'll be simply ecstatic."

"Great idea vint!" Bull's booming laughter shook the room again and Dorian sighed.

"Maker, I was being sarcastic. Does anybody know what that word means?"

"Nope," Sera wiped the sweat off her forehead and grinned in satisfaction of one of her greatest accomplishments, "Alright all done Bull, take her away." _And I didn't even think about frigging her_ , her eyes trailed sadly at the shirt and the urge to undress the mage surfaced, _ugh fuck now I am!_

"Make it sound like I'm taking her to jail," the qunari walked over and gently cradled Ellana in his arms, she was still sleeping heavily despite all the noise and movement.

"Pretty much are, don't you think? Least all she gotta do now is stitch the sky," Sera glanced at the sleeping mage, _what happens with us after that?_

"And here I thought it was going to be difficult," Dorian drawled sarcastically.

"You dunno Ena," Sera grinned with pride, "She'll beat this like she always does."

* * *

Halfway through the Hinterlands Lavellan accidentally woke herself up with an abrupt snore, briefly coughing to clear air trapped at the back of her throat. Soft snickers pulled her mind to reality and she blearily looked around to see Sera and Dorian stifling their laughter with their hands over their mouths. The low rumble that vibrated through her brought her attention to the qunari carrying her and she grinned in excitement, "Bull! Put me down!"

"Here we go, Boss before you star-"

"Let's fight!"

"No, ye daft tit! We gotta get back to Haven," Sera exclaimed, "Fight him after you close the hole."

"But I wanna fight now!"

"Quit being stubborn weirdo! This ain't the time or place."

"But I-"

" **No**!"

Ellana pouted and reluctantly slumped in the qunari's hold, Bull stared at Sera incredulously, "That's the fastest she's ever… Can you just stay with me all the time?"

"S'your fault too, why do ya gotta be so bloody tall and phwoar?"

"Sorry?" Bull shrugged and laughed then let Lavellan back on the ground, groaning when her eyes shone bright with obvious fighting spirit, "You heard the lady, no means no Boss." The elven woman grumbled and kicked a pebble at her feet as they walked, Sera sighed and crossed her arms when the mage glanced at her every now and then.

"I ain't budging. You keep using those damn puppy eyes and I'm gonna stop falling for it-ugh fine do whatever the hell you want."

"Really?!" Lavellan's grin beamed and she looked at Bull who waved his arms in protest, her excitement took over and she charged towards the qunari. Something in her peripheral vision moved and her instincts screamed at her, she deftly flipped backwards and her palms dug into the dirt guiding her to land gracefully on her feet. Immediately she rushed to whatever shot at her, eyes momentarily glancing at the arrow firmly embedded to where she once stood which served to feed the fire within her. "You'll pay for interrupting my fight!" She ignored her companions calling out to her and summoned flames to wrap around her legs and arms, blindly sprinting into the thick of the forest to search for the intruder. _This smell,_ her head whirled around and scanned the trees, eyes narrowing at leaves that shook as if something passed by. She set off to follow and used the smell to guide her, extinguishing the fire swirling her limbs in order not to burn the forest.

Faint shouting from her companions barely registered in her mind, "Show yourself and I might spare you!" She gracefully wove through and hardly disturbed the fallen branches, jumped over bushes, and swung along sturdy limbs of the trees, _the smell is getting stronger. Familiar?_ Soon there was an opening and the path widened to a small pond, _they're definitely here,_ her eyes paid attention to every painstaking detail of the area. Her head shot up at the scuffling at the tree above her and she reacted by diving and rolling forward, avoiding the intruder's attempt to grapple her. _W-what?_ She froze, _a child?_ What's worse was what the child actually was.

An elf.

"Wait!" She dodged as the child thrust a dagger towards her and shuffled back a couple meters then rose her hands in surrender, "Ar'din nuvenin na'din!" Her heart thundered erratically as she desperately avoided the child's every swing, he wouldn't let her get close to him though. _Skilled,_ her eyes noted the lack of bow and quiver, _did he lose them?_ "Please, I don't want to hurt you!" _His fire burns with pure anger,_ she saw her chance when the young boy exhausted himself and let his guard down, she sprints forward only to realize too late he had feigned it. Blood trickled down her lips and she groaned in pain as she felt the knife penetrate flesh and sink below her right breast, when she had looked down she saw fear in the boy's eyes. "It's o- _ck_ -ay," she smiled pathetically as her eyebrows furrowed in agony, she hissed and forced herself to pat the boy's head and ruffle his hair, "You d-don't need _tch_ -to be afraid. Won't- _ugh_ -hurt you..."

The child let go of the hilt and his eyes glistened with tears, it wasn't long before he wailed and choked out apologies in between sobs. Ellana carefully knelt down on one knee and grimaced at the radiating stinging, she mustered all that she could to smile reassuringly for the crying boy. _Breathing is still okay, not deep enough to get my lung._ As she moved to embrace the boy to comfort him, shouting rang out to the left and she was too stunned to react the arrow that flew their way. _Why?!_ Sera released the shot and the arrow sank into the boy's skull with a sickening crunch.

Lavellan couldn't breathe, her nerves snapped and her rage choked her as her eyes stared at the motionless body, her head snapped to the city elf in anger, "WHAT THE FUCK!" She coughed as she shouted but forced herself to stand and stomp towards the archer, unaware that her lips had been moving but she couldn't hear her. "Why?! He was afraid, he didn't fucking-you didn't... You didn't have to fucking kill him! A child, Sera?! Was it because he's a fucking elf?!" Pain radiated below her breast and she looked down, eyes widened when the archer's hand was on the hilt of the dagger, _why?_

* * *

Swiftly pulling out the dagger and ensuring it didn't twist or rotate, Sera wraps one arm around the small of the mage's back to keep her from collapsing. Her razor sharp slits burned with unshed tears, "I already told you! That brat was going to kill you!" The mage continued to protest and berate her, "Shut the fuck up before you bleed yourself out, idiot!" Nothing. Bull and Dorian caught up with them and she glared at the two, "She's not fucking listening, kid almost killed her and now she's pissed off at me. Hold her down on the ground so I can take care of this half wit." The two exchanged hesitant glances then nodded, struggling to keep the thrashing elven woman still. Sera quickly pulled out her tools and unstrapped the waist buckle then rolled the shirt under the breasts to expose the wound, "Fuck..." She snapped when Ellana started to shout in elvhen, "Shut up before I knock you the fuck out!" _Fuck sake, all this over a friggin' kid, I didn't want to alright?! I fucking waited! Doesn't leave much room for fucking interpretation when he pulls out a second knife,_ she ripped a piece of her shirt off and placed it on top of the wound, applying pressure to stop the blood from gushing out.

"Allow me," Dorian reached over with one hand and a soft green glow illuminated his fingers, "Better to heal than butcher her, no?"

"I know what the fuck I'm doing Moustache, ain't the first time I've stitched her up. Better than yer friggin' glowy rubbish."

"Why stitch when I can-"

"Piss off! I have to fix her!" Sera grumbled and wiped the sweat from her brow as she took the ripped piece of shirt and opened her flask of mead, drenching the cloth and then cleaning the wound. _Shoulda killed that kid before he did this to you._ Dorian looked at Bull but the qunari shook his head, the tevinter mage reluctantly went back to holding down the elvhen woman's wrists. "Daft fuckin' twat, I told you that trusting so damn easily would get you burned..." Ellana hissed in pain when the soaked cloth came into contact with the wound and the archer worked as quickly as she could, easily threading the string through the needle. "I'm a friggin' expert at this thanks to you, idiot," she pierced and wove the skin together, _guess we both are, I'm stitching her and she's stitching the sky._ Her ears flushed red, _both of us stitching our world back together._

Leaning down to sever the thread with her teeth, it didn't occur soon enough about the wound's proximity to the mage's breasts. When Sera's forehead accidentally bumped into the soft mound, Dorian and Bull erupted in laughter. "S-shut up you arseholes! This ain't funny!" _Sure was cushion-y for an elfy elf like-what the fuck am I thinking?!_ Promptly squashing the desire and ignoring the urges, she deftly ties the knot with quivering hands. Her eyes would subconsciously dart up and she'd catch herself staring before forcing her gaze back down on the knot. This, of course, did not go unnoticed by the two men.

"Should we give you two some privacy so you can 'work off stress'?" Bull waggled his eyebrows playfully.

"I think the imp will be the one that comes out injured if they 'fight' now," Dorian added.

Sera glared menacingly at the both of them and growled, "Shut up!" They looked down when the mage's struggle slowed and eerily became quiet, her eyes flashed brightly, coal orbs dilated and swirled with anger. Sera sighed, "Are you gonna fucking listen now?"

"Why," Lavellan muttered coldly, "He was a child."

"He was going to kill you!"

"Didn't have to kill him to stop him," Ellana scoffed and glared at the men holding her down, "Let. Me. Go." Not wanting to risk further infuriating her or become the new campfire, the two immediately let go and rose their hands in surrender. She swatted away the archer's hand and clambered to her feet on her own then returned to the path to exit the forest. A lump of guilt formed in Sera's throat and she averted her gaze, the sound of snapping twigs resounding in the air.

"That's it?"

Lavellan looked back mournfully, eyebrows knitted together in pain and her lips parted then closed, as if contemplating whether to actually talk. _Say something, anything, don't just leave Ena._ The mage shook her head and turned around, and soon Sera craved even the sound of snapping twigs.

Words **sting**.  Silence **breaks the heart**.

* * *

Climbing on to the bed, Ellana jumped up and pulled herself up on the beam. The best way for her to blow some steam was to pour every bit of it into training, and she tip-toed down the center. Carefully balancing as she swiftly hooked her legs on the beam and swung down, she wasted no time with the crunches. _Come far,_ she noted as she passed the ten mark, _was only able to do two in the beginning,_ the burn she had grown to like settled in her core as she pushed past her limit, sweat steadily dripping off her forehead and hitting the wooden floor with quiet plops. Ever since she got back to Haven, people wouldn't leave her alone regarding her decision with free mages and eventually she snapped, demanding privacy in her cabin. The forces were mobilizing and the plan was to start heading for the breach in an hour. _Haven't I done enough? Always pushing me yet always unhappy no matter what._ Images of Redcliffe and the child haunted her every moment, awake and asleep. _I can't get away from anything._

 ** _He was going to kill you!_**

The scar where she had been stabbed throbbed with heat, _she did it to save me, she made the hardest decision that I would never be able to make._ She chewed her lip, _but now I can't save that boy._

 ** _Didn't have to kill him to stop him._**

 _And she knew it too, her eyes... Smelled the guilt too. Doesn't she know? Children don't understand anything about death,_ she gritted her teeth and hissed when she passed the thirty mark, her stomach protested at every little movement and demanded a break. She ignored it, _I would know. Even if you say I know nothing, that's something I_ _would_ _know._ Her temper flared as images of her dead parents crawled into the mounting memories of anger and sorrow. When her abdomen refused to help her up, she unhooked her legs from the beam and dropped down to balance on her hands. _How does Bull do this?_ She tried to keep herself upright with her hands then attempted to bend her elbows, her arms immediately buckled on her at the difficulty of the push up and she went crashing down. "Fenedhis," her abdomen chastised her as it smacked the ground, "Yes, yes I know you're angry at me no need to yell. Push up, not down. I got it," _and now I'm talking to my stomach. Creators, maybe I really am crazy?_

A quiet creak at the door brought her attention to the presence beyond it, the familiar scent filtered through. _When did Sera come?_ The archer had been completely silent, and when Lavellan peered under the crack of the door she recognized the red of her tunic, _is she sitting against the door?_ Her anger flared and she pushed herself up then turned around. She walked to the fireplace with the intention of ignoring the city elf and continuing her training. As she placed her palms against the wall, her eyes subconsciously trailed to the metal trinkets on the night table and she sighed. Her overbearing concern easily trumped the anger when she quietly plopped to the door and opened it, "Come inside." She left the door open and spun on her heel, averting her gaze and walking to the bed. She planted her feet on the edge of the bed and formed a small triangle with her hands on the wooden floor, clenching her teeth as she began the next exercise of her routine.

The nervous aura that flickered with something else Lavellan couldn't pinpoint smothered the atmosphere as Sera quietly walked inside and locked the door. "Why-" the mage grunted as she pushed up, her triceps threatened her if she didn't take a break soon which she naturally ignored, "Didn't you say you were waiting?" _There's no warmth in her system whatsoever, how long had she been out there?_ Ellana's stomach churned with worry and she scrapped the exercise, bouncing up with renewed adrenaline as she walked to the silent archer and embraced her. Conjuring warmth and easily setting her system ablaze, she smiled proudly when Sera ceased shivering.

"You always do this," Sera mumbled sadly as she bunched up the dalish elf's shirt in her hands and pressed closer, "Disappear and come exploding back as if nothing ever changed."

"I'm still upset," when the archer tensed Lavellan quickly blurted out, "But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop caring." She released her hold as she cupped Sera's chin and smiled affectionately, "Next time just come inside, I'll always warm you up." Her smile expanded into a childish grin, "One way, or another."

"Weirdo," Sera chuckled half-heartedly and stole a brief kiss, "Still saying shite that could be taken wrong." Needless to say, the archer had no idea what she reminded Ellana of when she stole the kiss.

 ** _Set me on fire._**

"That so? What if I wanted it that way?"

 ** _And kiss me all the time._**

"Yeah right, yer the friggin' mother of clueless weirdos. Always- _mmph_!" Capturing the plump lips with her own, Lavellan effortlessly lifted the archer by the waist and growled when she felt toned legs hook around her. Instincts guided and commanded her, powerless against the strong urges that demanded contact. As soon as she felt the tangy tongue force into the crevice of her mouth it sparked something feral within the depths of her soul. Willingly diving into the inferno consuming her, her body moves of its own accord as if it had its own agenda. Ellana walked forwards and leaned the archer against the door, she raised one leg to support Sera as her hands explored the creamy skin hidden underneath. _Not enough,_ her lingering anger over the archer's past actions morphed into frustration for something she couldn't understand. Before she realized what was happening her hands-with minds of their own-decided to rip and  burn the offending tunic blocking her from what she wanted more of... Whatever that was.

Hissing in pleasure when she felt fingernails rake along her scalp, she bends into the crook of Sera's neck and yanks off the kerchief with her teeth, stopping momentarily when the archer's voice vaguely registered in her mind. She growled and immediately silenced Sera with another searing kiss, "Shut up," she rasped out, "Hate talking. We always argue." As she parted, her temper flared at the city elf's husky chuckles, "Don't deny it. You know it would've happened if I didn't shut you up."

"That so?" Sera's eyes dilated with lust and mischief as she stole the mage's words, "What if I wanted it that way?" She didn't know whether she regretted it or not as she felt sharp canines pierce the junction of her shoulder and neck, a mixture of pain and pleasure assaulted her mind at once and she couldn't help the moan that forced through her lips.

It was then Sera realized just how terrifyingly close Dorian was with his last joke.

"And you complain," Lavellan chuckled hoarsely, "That I don't listen. You don't either." She pressed her lips in and experimentally lapped at the blood that trickled out, humming thoughtfully as she absent-mindlessly pondered on the taste. _Spicy?_ It had smelled different as well, it wasn't the dreaded metallic scent that haunted her constantly. "Better than fire," she mused and noted the look of confusion swirling with an unknown emotion in the razor sharp slits staring at her. "Your taste," Ellana stated gruffly, "It's  better than fire."

 ** _You're my favorite thing in the world_** _._

 _My best friend,_ Lavellan gazed back and the fire within her changed, the primal urges that commanded her were replaced with sensations she couldn't pinpoint and name. Tenderly locking lips, it was then she had finally noticed the archer's state of undress when she pressed closer. "What is this feeling," she whispered as she gaped at where Sera's heart resides, the archer chuckled.

"When ya stare and drool over someone's boobs that's lust and desire. Somethin' like that's clear as day, definitely can't take that any other way."

"What?" Lavellan looked up confused, "I'm not staring at your breasts. Or drooling." _And why would I?_

"Luv," Sera erupted in carefree laughter, "You were so staring. Don't even-"

"Vhenan. I was looking at your heart," Ellana explained and tilted her head in curiosity when she noted the new unknown emotion she was not accustomed to seeing in the archer's eyes. Something in what Sera said called out to her and she desperately tried to figure out what, it felt so close. "Can you repeat what you said?"

"U-uh… When?"

"When I said I wasn't drooling," Lavellan growled frustratedly, "It felt familiar. 'Right'. I don't know how to explain it, just repeat what-"

"You were so staring…?" _That wasn't it. Is it desire, then? Feels close._ Before she could contemplate further, her head tilted and she looked past Sera's shoulder at the door. _Someone's coming._ Soft knocks vibrated the door and the archer grinned, but before she could say anything the presence behind spoke up.

"Herald," it was Solas, "We're ready to move out and go to the breach." _That's when he comes to talk? About the breach?_ Lavellan sighed irritatedly and rested her forehead on the city elf's bare shoulder.

"I'll be there soon." She could hear the snow shift under the weight of the apostate's feet, _walking away without saying anything else? Really?_

"Before I forget the Seeker wanted me to ask you if you knew where Sera was." _Flat tone, doesn't care._

"She's in here with me."

"Ah," _you obviously disapprove,_ "I see." Without another word spoken she could hear the steps fade away and she gritted her teeth. She breathed slowly to sooth her rising anger and Sera picked up on it immediately.

"Who cares what he thinks? I bet he's just jealous."

"Of what?" Lavellan rose her head and looked pleadingly for answers. She gently lowered the archer back down on the ground and walked to the closet to grab a spare shirt for her. She pulled out a long sleeved tunic, _this should help keep her warm,_ and held it out to Sera.

"Of us," Sera grinned as she took the shirt and pulled it over her head then muffled beneath, "Bet that daft tit's only loved demons. Probly frigged them too ewwww..."

 _That's it,_ Ellana's eyes lit up and she grinned back, _that was the word!_ Excitement swept her and she eagerly kissed the archer who reciprocated immediately and who's lips moved in seamless synchrony. _My best friend,_ Lavellan parted and fought the urges to dance as she gazed in the razor sharp slits. "Ma emma sa'lath," as soon as she blurted it out her heart swelled and hammered erratically against her chest.

"Elfy stuff again," Sera huffed, "Alright I'll bite, what's that one mean?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Ellana's laughter bounced off the walls of the cabin as the archer groaned, "Consider this my revenge and your payment for upsetting me. I'll tell you when we come back."

"If we come back."

"When we come back. Which we will."

"You don't know that daft tit!"

"I have you by my side," Lavellan grinned and reached down to pull Sera by her hands then tilted her head to give a brief but passionate kiss, "That's how I know."


	13. From Ashes Rise

****Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!****

 **AN** **:** Keep in mind Ellana hasn't been taught about romance and refers to her feelings the only way she knows/understands, she'll get there someday though. I do imagine as Ena being only slightly taller by about a foot to two feet, not a major difference but enough for the two elves to subconsciously feel as equals with one another type of thing. I've had a song stuck on my mind lately and felt it appropriate with the Temple events, the centered italic lines is from the song: Thomas Bergersen feat. Merethe Solvedt – The Hero in Your Heart (the title alone says how corny it is lol).

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _Ir abelas:_ I'm sorry

 _Ma nuvenin:_ As you wish

 _Ma da'assan:_ My little arrow

 _Atish'an:_ Place of peace

 _Numinan:_ Place of tears

 _Revasan:_ Place of freedom

 _Lath viran:_ Path to the place of love

* * *

 **From Ashes Rise**

* * *

Focus.

Something Sera was severely lacking at the moment as she trekked up the steep hill beside a portable campfire that oddly enough had two legs. Every time she'd pull herself to reality, her mind would reel back to the cabin no matter how hard she tried to stop it.

 ** _What if I wanted it that way?_**

Stealing a glance at the calm mage beside her, she couldn't help but wonder what was going on in the fire-brain's head. _Fucking hottest I've ever had and didn't do nothing but kiss. Had plenty of kisses before,_ she inched closer to Ellana, _always fire with you, you secretly breathe fire too?_

 ** _Your taste, it's better than fire._**

 _And she burned my friggin' shirt! Damn that one's been with me forever too… Ah well._ She looked down at the long-sleeved tunic, _this one's got her smell, much better._ She stole another glance and fought her doubts, _wonder what she thought? I mean she burnt it but didn't do fuck all after that._ Disappointment gnawed on the edges of her thoughts, _no touching or anything, friggin' Baldy had to go and ruin it._ The pits of her stomach stirred as she re-lived the kisses in her mind's eye, out of all the passionate exchanges the one moment that set her blood ablaze was when Lavellan tenderly kissed her. _Wonder why? Everything else was waaaaaaay fuckin' better._

 ** _Vhenan. I was looking at your heart._**

Brushing shoulders with the mage, she mirrored the childish grin that lit up Ellana's face. _You and yer honey tongue rubbish, for such a clueless tit you always blurt this shit out so easily._ They were nearing the breach and anxiety began to well up in the archer, _never saw it this close. Air smells friggin' wrong here._ She felt a hand smooth along the small of her back and hook on the side of her waist, pulling her. Her lips curled in a content smile, the contagious joy and comfort Lavellan constantly provided was always too much and not enough at the same time.

 ** _Ma emma sa'lath._**

 _She always knows when to do this crap too, never been one for hugging either._ The two swayed and roughly bumped into each other until they took a quick minute to synchronize steps, laughing when they picked up faint whispers behind them at how stupid they looked. _Don't care pricks, yer just jealous,_ her grin grew as she looked at the smoldering coal eyes, _and she doesn't care either. That's all matters._

 _The world is smaller_

 _Seconds are longer_

 _Embraces reach farther_

"Better come back to me," Sera whispered when they wove through the Temple ruins and stood at the heart of where it all started. She felt a warm hand slip into hers and squeeze reassuringly, yet she couldn't bring herself to look at the mage. "Promise it?" Her heart faltered when the hand gently pulled away and she chewed her lip nervously, _right, she doesn't make promises she doesn't think she can keep. Only the ones she's got a fighting chance,_ her eyes trailed up at the rift, _can't try hard when you can't try at all._ Heavy hands fell on her shoulders and forced her to move, and then a soft hand cupped her chin to direct her to look. She averted her gaze and Lavellan chuckled softly.

 _Hands hold harder_

 _Eyes are bigger_

 _Clearer we see_

"And you complain that I'm stubborn, come on look at me."

"I can't."

 _That this is how we find out what we're made of_

 _The hero in your heart_

 _Can never leave your side_

"Why not?" _I'm scared of what I'll see ye daft tit!_ "Just look, or I won't tell you what ma emma sa'lath means," Sera groaned when she could  hear the grin on the mage's face. She reluctantly caved in and glanced at the elven woman. "There we go, not so hard right?" Lavellan chuckled when the archer glared warningly at her, then quickly dove in and captured her lips in a searing kiss, _you really don't care 'bout people seeing this? The Herald with some friggin'…_

 _The hero in your heart_

 _Can never leave your side_

 _Locked within right until that moment you give up_

All conscious thought melted away as she threw caution to the wind and reciprocated, the molten hot lava known as fire-brain's mouth always had a talent of making her feel lightheaded and dizzy while igniting every single nerve. An exaggerated cough snapped them out of their moment and Sera grinned at the flustered Seeker that stood meters away with arms crossed, trying to glare as menacingly as she could with a beet-red face. "Ir abelas," Ellana bowed her head apologetically to the warrior then smiled warmly at Sera, "I promise." With that, the mage scurried off and hopped over the railing, gracefully landing and running up to the rift. _She don't flinch, she don't seem scared, she don't even look like she gives a shit that she's going up against the friggin' sky._ The archer gawked as she stood and watched from above, how the mages who volunteered to lend their strength organized themselves around the Herald.

"Makes you think if this is really real huh?" Sera looked down at the dwarf that snuck beside her, _when he'd come here?_ She thoughtlessly nodded and went back to watching the spectacle, "Know why I gave her the nickname Thorns?"

"How should I know?" _Bugger off Varric._

"Even roses have thorns, Buttercup. Don't need me to tell you playing with fire's dangerous, you just never know if it's going to warm you up or burn your damn house down." Before Sera could protest the dwarf waved his hand dismissively, "Just lookin' out for you. I've written plenty of stories about heroes to see how this one could end."

 _Now this is where you find out what you're made of_

 _The hero in your heart will never leave your side_

 _Locked within right until that moment you give up_

"She ain't some friggin' whatever in a book," Sera seethed, "She's human. Or elf, whatever. I can look out for myself, her too. Best remember that next time." Her eyes scanned the mages, they were starting the… Whatever it was. Ceremony? Ritual? Sera didn't know nor cared, her stomach churned with anxiety as her hero courageously pressed on, undaunted despite the shift in the wind and how the air seemed thicker, heavier. The mages surrounding her were lit up much like she was, and the closer Ellana got to the rift the harder it seemed for her to move and get closer. _What if she can't close it?_ Sera chewed on the corner of her lip, _what if she dies and don't close it?_ She clenched her fists and squashed the fear down.

 ** _Hope is the only thing stronger than fear._**

"You promised," Sera whispered, "Now you better try really hard. Better come back."

 _I bet you didn't know_

 _The hero in your heart_

 _Has strength beyond the known_

Sera's throat constricted and her heart squeezed when Lavellan collapsed on one knee and gripped her marked hand, the archer could hear the frustrated grunts and pained groans. _You promised,_ her jaw hung loosely when the mage's arm suddenly erupted with flames, multiple colors swirled around and traveled towards her body. _That's her doing it right?! That's not the friggin' hole's fault?_ Sera rubbed her clammy palms together, every muscle screamed at her to rush to the elven woman's side. _Come on,_ "I thought you said you try really hard to keep your promises," Sera muttered, "This doesn't look like trying hard. It looks like you're getting your friggin arse kicked!"

The flames seemingly flickered and lashed out angrily, the crackling sounds of the fire blocked whatever Ellana had been cursing. "Come on Ena… You're taking friggin' long," Sera gripped the railing and her stomach choked her at her throat when the flames spread along the entirety of the mage's body. _That's not fucking normal!_ "Ena!" Blinding light engulfed them and Sera shielded her eyes with her forearm, a forceful gust of wind ripped through and knocked everyone to their feet.

When she came to, Sera scrambled to her feet and recklessly hopped off the railing, landing awkwardly on her ankles and grunting as pain shot through. Eyes darting and desperately searching the field she forced herself to move, _where is she?!_ She rushed to where she last saw Ellana and whirled around, _no where,_ "You promised," her voice wavered, "You fucking promised!" It was then she felt warm arms slither around her waist and she subconsciously relaxed as the familiar heat seeped straight into her muscles.

"I think I kept it. I don't know about you, but it looks to me like I'm back." Lavellan nonchalantly rested her chin on Sera's shoulder, eyes watching from the corner and tiredly dancing with mirth. "You really lay on the pressure don't you? Thought you said you didn't want to."

"Seriously," the archer rolled her eyes and turned around in the embrace, "That's what you have to say?" She mirrored the mage's grin, "You heard all that then, that why you went tits up in flames?"

"What can I say? I like it when you put pressure on me, now come closer."

 _And never leaves your side_

 _You're the hero in your heart_

* * *

With how much time she spent beside it, Sera dare say the door was becoming her new best friend. As soon as they made it back to Haven she dragged the clueless mage by the wrist to the cabin despite the others protesting, Ellana bellowed out freely and waved back frantically as before. _Now_ _I'm kidnapping her Cass,_ Sera grinned as she was trapped between the door and the essence of hell itself. Now it was all a matter of determining whether she liked this particular hell or not.

It wasn't a hard decision.

"Ena," the archer squeezed her shoulders and groaned when Lavellan didn't seem to be interested in listening. _Just when I actually wanna friggin' find out what that shite means too,_ a moan bubbled in the back of her throat when scorching fire crawled along her skin, _fuck it, not important._ Her new shirt didn't last long either, soon it had been ripped and burnt to a crisp as if it had never existed in the first place. "T-the hell is your problem with clothes- _s-shit!_ " Sera could only think of one word to describe the overwhelming sensations swallowing her entire being.

 ** _FINALLY_** ** _._**

For some reason, Lavellan had been obsessed with assaulting the archer's neck with kisses and little nips, careful not to pierce the skin with her sharp canines. The hoarse chuckles were enough to make Sera's blood boil, the childish grin had made her want to smack the look off the mage's face and get to business. "I don't like clothes. Wasn't that obvious?"

 _UGH_ _._

" **Shut up** and kiss me."

"Ma nuvenin, ma da'assan."

Both their ears perked at the sound of warning bells outside the cabin and groaned simultaneously, "Are you fucking kidding me right now? Who the hell is banging-"

"Fenedhis," Lavellan took off her shirt and buckles then handed it to Sera, hastily shoving the chain-link armor on and grabbing the archer's weapons. "It's not a joke. It's real."

"Whaddya mean real? What's real?" The ground rumbled and war horns echoed in the distance, Sera stiffened as she reluctantly took the bow and quiver from the mage, "Well shit..." Ellana rushed to the night table to grab the metal trinket and swiftly snapped the pendant around the archer's neck. "What's-"

"There's no time," Lavellan grabbed her wrist and opened the door with such force it tore off the hinges, _what the fuck?! Does she not know her own strength?!_ This didn't even bother the mage and she roughly pulled Sera along, looking behind as they ran to the gates, "I know you may not trust me fully, but trust in the amulet. It will protect you." _Protect me? From what?_ "Err," Ellana mumbled and scratched her head when they made it to the others, "It should anyways..."

"Should?!"

"Cullen!"

"Don't be so fuckin' obvious, arsehole!"

"What's the plan?!"

There was something incredibly wrong with what Ellana said, something that struck fear straight into the archer's heart. It was something she'd never felt before and it petrified her, froze her little feet in her little place and ensured doom was in fact coming. She face palmed and groaned.

 ** _ENA_** _._

 ** _PLAN_** _._

 _Two words that should never be in the same frigging sentence!_ As Cullen informed the group about the trebuchets and enemy, Sera hesitantly stole a glance at the mage and inwardly cussed. _And she's listening to it too. We're_ _so_ _fucked now!_ Anger rose in her and her thumb slid along the bowstring, she  itched to shoot and her murderous killing intent smothered the atmosphere. "Why couldn't these pricks wait until Ena and I fucked?" Silence. _Oh shit._ She felt heat bore into her back and knew it didn't belong to the mage who looked at her, confused. _I didn't say that. Cass'll kill me, tell-_

"I don't understand, you taught me 'to fuck' meant 'to kill'. You want… To kill me?" _UGH_ _._ It did not help her whatsoever that despite their dire predicament, the men snickered quietly before the Seeker threatened to throttle them. Before she could explain, the gates groaned at the weight of frantic knocking behind it and a young man who pleaded for them to open. Lavellan was the first to rush and the archer drew the bowstring, _you idiot, always friggin' rushing in and trusting tits too easily, it's obviously a trap!_ She reluctantly ate her words when it revealed a pale boy who seemed sincere in his warning about the coming force, _too damn late though, still gotta fight lotsa pricks. Why the hell's this guy so damn pasty? Whiter than my friggin' tits._ The archer was snapped out of her reverie when Ellana charged forward, _did she actually listen to Curly or just pretend?_

Swiftly making short work of the abnormal templars had both impressed and unsettled the companions. "Raw destructive power like that," Dorian muttered, "To command fire so easily, naturally... That's dangerous for her." _What, how's that bad? Ain't it good she got her shit under control?_ Before she could ask the tevinter mage had ran off with Bull to help the soldiers load the trebuchet. Sera hadn't cared for anything but keeping the elven woman safe, she aimed all her shots for templars near Ellana rather than herself. She smirked at the irony when the dalish elf would occasionally send a fireball at the templars that threatened to surround the archer, _why don't we just watch our own friggin' backs instead of each others? Now I don't make sense anymore, s'all your fault ye daft tit._ With each fallen soldier Lavellan's anger rose to the point she had been reckless with all of her movements and stopped listening to anybody. Anytime she got like this though… Well.

"Should just run the fuck back home," Sera grinned with pride, "Just sealed the deal by pissing her off. Nobody gonna get outta this alive." As the trebuchet cleared and fired, the soldiers warned them about the second trebuchet that hadn't been working and Ellana immediately set off. Feet blazing and melting the snow, some of the group members had to stay behind to finish their own personal battles. Sera abandoned hers in order to catch up with the mage, "Ena! Wait up!" _Friggin' tit, I told you before to wait! It's gonna be like last time,_ images of when the dalish woman had been flanked and the large gash on her shoulder surfaced to Sera's mind and spurred her legs to run faster.

Every part of her body had burned with fatigue and begged for rest, but she had no choice except to follow Lavellan. _We tire ourselves out, we gonna start making mistakes._ She chewed her lip in nervousness as she glanced at the mountain and saw all the glowing torches, _got no friggin' time to rest though. Fuck this shit! We stitched the hole in the sky and saved the world, why the fuck are_ _we_ _being attacked?!_ As the archer reached the second trebuchet her knees buckled with relief and she took advantage of her chance to rest. Her stomach churned at the disgusting smell of charred flesh, but it was better than the smell of Lavellan's blood. Her eyes worriedly inspected the mage cloaked in bitter flames, _shit she is_ _really_ _pissed off 'bout losing people..._

 ** _Raw destructive power like that, to command fire so easily, naturally... That's dangerous for her._**

 _You blind Moustache? Clearly it's fuckin' dangerous for everyone else, not her. Tch, idiot._ As she ran up to the elven woman she grinned, "Still no cuts? Here I was ready to stitch your ass cheeks back together," she cringed when the smoldering coal eyes met hers. _Right, not a good time to joke when she's angry._ Ellana hadn't said anything and instead rushed to the cog wheel, struggling to turn the stiff thing and cursing under her breath. "Need Bull for that luv," Sera kept her eyes and bow trained on their surroundings as she walked backwards up the steps and glanced over her shoulder, "Let him do that or you'll burn out."

" **No**."

"Can't say I didn't expect that. Ena ya gotta listen if you-"

"I can do it."

"The hell you tryin' to prove? Nobody's gonna fuckin' care how strong you are if we're face first in the muck!" She stood her ground when she met the furious eyes and her own temper flared when the stubborn mage still fought with the stiff wheel, "We got a couple minutes, take the fuckin' breather. You need it!"

" **Shut up**! I said I can do it,  I have to!" The way Ellana's voice wavered and cracked cut daggers in the archer and she cursed under her breath, _fuck, way to go. Make her mopey yeah brilliant fuckin' idea._ The dalish woman's shoulders quivered and she gritted her teeth, grunting and cursing when her feet slipped below her. Sera sighed and checked for any enemies then holstered her bow. _Won't let me help even if I ask, this is the only way._ She walked behind and tucked her one knee against the back of the mage's thighs then wrapped her arms around her waist. She hooked her free leg around and slid her foot into a horizontal position to block Ellana's feet.

"Pull as hard as you can, I'll keep ya from fallin' on yer arse yeah?" Surprisingly, Lavellan nodded eagerly, immediately leaning back and resting all her weight on the archer's knee. Tucking her feet behind Sera's and anchoring down, she pulled with all her might and cheered when the wheel had finally turned. Hands darting out to the next handle, she furiously worked as fast as she could when she felt the knee below her tremble. _Fuck,_ sweat blurred Sera's vision, _harder than I thought keeping her in place._ Her leg that stopped Lavellan's feet slipping out had been screaming profanities at her and begged none-too-nicely for a break, _piss off! She's pouring everything she's got and more, I can do the same!_ When Ellana released the trebuchet shot the two collapsed on the ground in exhaustion.

"Woo." Lavellan's deadpan cheer made Sera laugh albeit pathetically, they had no energy left.

"Sure sound excited luv," the archer wheezed, "I can feel it."

"Not all you feel," Ellana deftly stated and Sera grinned when she felt a warm hand squeeze the side of her thigh, "When we make it through this-"

"If."

" **When**. When we do, you  have to tell me exactly why I can't stop thinking about touching you." The mage tensed and clutched Sera's thigh roughly, guilt etched in every word, "Don't seem right, with everyone else..." She trailed off and turned around, propping herself up on her elbows and staring in the razor sharp slits. "What the hell is wrong with me Sera? Even right now I-"

"Ain't nothing wrong with it 'specially since it was only ten minutes ago or whatever since we left the cabin. Adrenaline and shite from that's still running high, hell it's still stuck in my mind. But you know what?" The archer framed Ellana's face and pulled her in for a brief tender kiss, "That's what's going to help us make it through this. If we're going through hell then we just gotta keep going, yeah? Helps to know what's waiting for us on the other side." Her heart swelled at the sincere joy the mage so honestly displayed all the time, _always wears her heart on her sleeve…_ Sera pulled her in for another chaste kiss, _even after it's been broken so many times. How does she keep doin' it?_

After they parted, a look of panic swept Lavellan's features and she scrambled to her feet, roughly dragging the archer along by the wrist, "Oi! Slow down, the hell you doing?!" The mage didn't say anything and pivoted sharply, tackling Sera to the ground and shielding her with her body. "What the fuck, tell me what's-" loud explosions shook the air and blinding light shone bright around the elven woman's body. "Ena! The fuck did you blow the friggin' thing for?! We needed that!"

"Wasn't me this time I swear, I'd be smiling if I caused something that big," Sera looked down at the mage's lips, "I am not smiling!" _Well, that's true._ Lavellan rolled off and pulled on the archer, "To the gates, quickly!" Roars thundered in the sky and vibrated Sera, as she was pulled along she mustered the courage to look behind her. She really wished she hadn't.

"A fucking dragon?! This a frigging joke?!"

"Worst joke I've ever heard," Ellana grunted and released the city elf, momentarily setting her arm ablaze and channeling the fire forth to blast the obstructing crates and door in Harritt's path. "If we all weren't already fighting for our lives, that thing would be fun to take on."

"You'd still be fighting for your friggin' life even if you fought with that thing ye half wit!" Lavellan's carefree laughter carried in the winds and infuriated the archer as they ran past the gates, _she's nuts, I give up tryin' to cover for this tit's arse. Can't save weirdies who have a death wish._ They regrouped with some of the others who had not already gone to the chantry only to split up once more to scour Haven for survivors. It had been a terrible idea to take on the route with the cabin, when the mage had seen what had happened first-hand she had become obsessed with vengeance. Templars that so much as dared to even stand in her path howled and shrieked in agony as they helplessly burned inside, trapped by their own armor. "Ena, calm down!" _Why bother say that, she can't friggin' hear me anyway._ To her surprise Ellana glared at her after they dragged the callous merchant out.

"How can I be calm? It's not enough for them to slaughter innocents, they had to burn this too?"

"The hell are you talking about? It's a bloody building, what's important is saving the peo-" Sera cut herself off a the elven woman knelt down and gathered a small amount of ash in her palm, _what is she doing…?_

"It was more than a building," Lavellan stood then fiddled with Sera's pendant and opened a hidden clasp on the side of the stone, revealing a small container inside. She carefully poured the ash inside and snapped it shut, "Atish'an, numinan, revasan, lath viran..."

"Don't get none of this pish, the hell are you mumbling?" Instead of explaining Ellana pivoted on her heel then rushed up the steps to help the quartermaster and Seeker, "Oi! Better tell me later, ain't getting away that easily!" The overwhelming scent of ash sitting at her neck served as her anchor to remain calm, feeling as though the mage held her in a warm embrace every step of the way. _Stupid,_ her ears tinged red, _so friggin' stupid, it's just a necklace idiot._ Lingering behind the dalish woman as they made it inside the chantry, she remained silent as she watched Ellana bicker with Cullen. The atmosphere was thick with fear and uncertainty, yet despite it all Lavellan carried herself as if the situation wasn't hopeless at all. _How the fuck does she do that?_ She absent-mindlessly smoothed her thumb along the stone of the pendant and looked down to get a closer look, _looks like her eyes…_ She closed her eyes and inhaled, the scent soothed and obliterated all doubts and anxiety.

 ** _Fire burns brighter in the darkness._**

Sera's lips curled into a soft smile, _look at you, turning me into mush without even doing anything._ Before she realized what was going on, Bull had slung her over her shoulder and had been walking in the opposite direction of the elven woman, "The fuck you doing?! Put me down!"

"Boss's order," the qunari cringed when Sera slammed her fists in his back.

"The hell it is! Fuck orders," she pleadingly looked at Lavellan, heart slowly crumbling when the mage had faced away from her, "Ena! What the hell is this?!" Nothing, the dalish elf began her trek back into Haven and rested her palms on the chantry doors, " **ENA**! Bull if you don't put me down right now I swear on my fucking life I will shove every fucking arrow I find where the sun don't shine!" She heard the mage's quiet whisper and her throat constricted painfully, knowing what came next.

"Ma emma sa'lath ma falon..."

" **SHUT UP**! You said you'd tell me  when we came back, idiot!" As Lavellan opened the doors and faded away in the battle-field of ash and fire, Sera fell apart at the sound of hinges screeching as the wooden doors slammed shut with a resounding heavy echo. The silence blanketed the group and everyone had averted their gaze from the archer, unsure of what to say.

 _"You are my one and only love, my friend."_

* * *

Numb, cold, one foot ahead of the other. Sinking into the snow, eyes distant, arms rubbing for warmth she could no longer feel. Any attempt the companions courageously made to try and lift her spirits was promptly shot down when the archer hadn't even bothered to respond. Solas had even tried to goad her into insulting him, she didn't take the bait. What for? She didn't feel like it anymore. It was futile to think of escaping, running back, because even if she did she knew she'd either die senselessly or someone would forcibly stop her from going back.

So what was the point?

"Maker's breath, is she doing what I think she is?" Dorian uttered breathlessly, Sera hadn't cared and kept moving, _oldest trick in the book, arsehole. Not falling for it. Don't care._ Angrily abandoning her weapons, she ripped the pendant off her neck and reeled her arm back. Before she could throw it away a hand tightly grasped her wrist and stopped her, her head snapped to the offender and temper flared instantly.

Solas.

"I do not think she would want that, and you would regret it."

"What's it matter? She's gonna die anyways. Tch, some fucking 'friend'. Everyone knows you don't die for your friends," her voice choked and eyes watered, "You try really fuckin' hard to live for them instead."

"I believe that's her goal," Solas surprisingly smiled reassuringly at the archer, "Have faith, look at her now Sera," the apostate gestured with his hand and Sera squinted in the distance, her mouth gaping at the sight.

"Is she seriously..." _This is what Moustache asked?_

"Yes."

Sera didn't know whether to laugh or cry first, she couldn't say she didn't expect it. The mage was jumping to and fro on the battlefield near the trebuchet and a large ring of fire surrounded her. Pillars of flame periodically shot up and small explosions created new craters in the field. The elven woman had become something of a natural disaster that swept the area, but it wasn't the total destruction that bothered Sera.

It was that Lavellan was seriously fighting the dragon.

" **THAT IDIOT**! I said try hard to live, not try hard to die!" Sera had honestly wished the mage's hearing was so good that she could hear the archer shout even miles away, though unlikely. "She's gonna get herself killed!" She glared angrily when Bull had laughed and cheered proudly, "Don't friggin' encourage her! She might actually be able to hear  you of all fuckin' people!"

"The phoenix versus the dragon," Varric mumbled and quickly took out a piece of paper from his pouch, jotting the sentence down quickly, "That'll make a good story, she'll get to tell me all about it too." Sera couldn't believe what she was hearing, every person that watched actually cheered the mage on rather than berate her, to call her the idiot she truly was. And then it hit her, it wasn't Ellana that was the idiot.

It was her.

Solas squeezed her shoulder, "She is the heir of ash and fire, and she bows to no one. The most powerful weapon on earth," he watched the signal arrow one of the Inquisition troops let loose, "Is the soul on fire."

"Hold on, what the fuck is that?" Sera's throat constricted when the new tall figure approached the mage and knocked her down on her feet, the dragon loomed over her, _get up Ena! Get out of there!_ Watching the deformed whatever-it-was lift and toss the mage around like a mere rag doll had been positively heart-wrenching, Sera's rage escalated and her body screamed at her to start running to the elven woman's side. As if sensing her urges, Bull held her back and she glared at him before helplessly watching Ellana. _It's over,_ the mage had been thrown to the trebuchet and cornered, Sera closed her eyes, she couldn't bear to see what she knew would happen.

Soon after the air shook and ear-shattering roars echoed in the sky, the ground rumbled and vibrated intensely. The archer opened her eyes and trailed the avalanche that rocketed down the mountain in awe before she scanned the field below, _why'd you have to go blow shit up again?!_ All she saw was the dragon that carried the deformed figure away, and a lithe form disappear into the snow. She turned around and the qunari embraced her, she clenched her fists in frustration as she desperately fought to keep herself together. "Buried alive, bad way to go," Bull muttered.

Even silence was more welcomed rather than the heart-wrenching cries.

* * *

 **Aftermath: The First Day**

Search parties turned up nothing, not even a body. The scouts picked up no trace of the mage, only countless dead innocent workers and brave soldiers. Sera stayed by the campfire near the Spymaster, always ensuring she was within earshot to hear the reports. Her mind constantly chastised what it deemed as 'foolish notions' of her heart, but what else could she do? Lavellan haunted her constantly, both when she was awake and asleep.

 ** _Hope is the only thing stronger than fear._**

 _You_ _taught me that. So, prove it again._

 ** _It's not a problem._**

 _It_ _is_ _a problem right now ye daft tit!_

 ** _I'll always warm you up._**

 _Doin' a piss poor job at it, what's taking you so long?_

Hugging herself tighter and sniffling, she moves closer to the fire. She was grounded, the first of the people to search for the Herald and recklessly plow through miles and miles of snow with less than decent protective gear. For hours she refused when people ordered her to go back, _don't care 'bout orders you pricks,_ until Bull had finally slung her over his shoulder and carried her back to camp against her will. Had she stayed out any longer, she would've suffered far worse than the cold she's caught. The sun was setting and there were still no signs of the mage, Sera reluctantly walked to a vacant tent and crashed on the pelts, pulling them over her head in an attempt to block out the harsh reality.

 _Ain't coming back, stupid. If she did live under the snow, then plenty other ways to die,_ she chewed her lip and wrapped herself like a cocoon, cradling the pelts close to her heart. _It's been too damn long._ As if morale wasn't already low enough with sorrow running rampant in the air, witnessing the deformed monster instilled pure fear in everybody's hearts. What was it? What did it want? If the Herald couldn't take him down, what chance did anybody else have? The army everyone worked so hard to build was shattered, their base of operations blown sky high and non-existent and all the work of just a single dragon.

"Come back already," Sera mumbled and hugged the pelts tighter, "Tell us it's not a problem..." Each time she closed her eyes or got close to drifting to sleep, she'd snap awake when she could see Ellana clear as day. The pendant served as a constant reminder, the scent identical and the stone was as if the mage had gazed back. It radiated a small amount of heat, the warmth was the same sensation as if it was the elven woman's fire surrounding Sera. Each time she awoke she could feel arms clutch her waist and she sighed frustratedly, _happens every time, driving me bloody nuts._ Even so she checked behind her, her heart faltered and her stomach sank when her doubts were proven right. The heat from the pelts was starting to make her feel lightheaded and she chuckled lowly as she unrolled herself, _just like her._

 ** _D-don't get it… So hot…_**

 ** _Well yeah, yer bloody wrapped up like a baby. Weirdo._**

* * *

 **The Second Day**

"I said no. Your state of mind is-"

"I'm the best damn person for the job Red! Let me search, I can sniff her out in no time just give me another chance!"

"Will I need to assign Bull to you or can you behave?"

Sera clenched her fists and her jaw tensed, she seethed between her teeth, "Let. Me. Search." She sighed frustratedly when Leliana gestured to the qunari, the giant's tired eyes conveying nothing but sympathy for Sera. _Don't want yer pity, want to search!_ Once again she was stuck in camp, still grounded from the search efforts and worst of all being babysat by her new jail guard. She pivoted on her heel and stormed off back to her tent, ignoring Bull calling out to her. She sat on the bed with a huff, knowing that if she had tried to wander out of camp the qunari would just forcibly drag her back.

"For what it's worth-"

"Shut up," Sera spat, "Don't know anything. Hate waiting like this like some fucking housewife. She's out there and I'm stuck here, and for what?!"

"Your safety," Bull replied exhaustively, "Red's just lookin' out for you, you'll end up-"

"Well she doesn't need to! I look out for me, always have. Don't get that free help's fucking good and I could sniff Ena out if she just let me get the fuck out there!" The more Sera ranted, the more hysterical she grew and finally Bull caved in.

"Search, on one condition. Don't stay out there for more than two hours, got it?" He scratched behind his horns when the archer's eyes lit up, "Gotta make it look like ya kicked my ass and made a break for it though."

Sera rolled her eyes, "You act as if I'm friggin' Ena. How do ya think we supposed to do that? Everybody knows know only way I'd get ya is if I shoved an arrow up yer arse." When Bull grinned mischievously the archer groaned, "And that'd kill you ye daft tit!"

"Think about it Sera, it could work!"

"Get off! Can't ya just tell Red I tricked you to look the other way or some shit?"

"First that'd never work since I'm Ben'Hassrath, second my speedwalk would catch up to your run and-"

"Third of all," Leliana startled the two as she stood at the tent entrance, arms crossed, "I can hear you." One warning glare was all it took for the archer to huff and plop on the make-shift bed, muffling her shouts and curses into the pelts all day long.

* * *

 **The Third Day**

The first poor soul who uttered the possibility of the Herald being dead within earshot of Sera did not receive a particularly kind treatment from her. Despite Bull's protests she charged at the soldier and punched him square in the nose, cringing when her knuckles took their fair share of the impact. She knelt down and distracted him as she filched something from his belt, "If I hear you so much as whisper Ena's name, a broken nose'll be the least of yer bloody worries."

"Sera, ease up!"

"Shut the hell up Bull, if all you shitheads are so worried 'bout her, why'd you ditch her in the first place huh? Why'd you let her go by her friggin' self? If we were there-" Pain shot through her injured hand when she clenched too tightly, "If I was there, this shit wouldn't happen! Someone's always gotta be with the daft tit to make sure she don't blow her-fucking-self up!" Sera brushed past the qunari and steered towards the camp exit before he grabbed her wrist to stop her again, she counted backwards in her head in an attempt not to lose it completely.

"Look, I understand where you're coming from alright? But right now flipping out and beating up the people on our side won't bring the Boss back, and neither will throwing your life away if you step outside the camp. Do you think that's what she'd want?"

"You dunno what she wants, heh," Sera scoffed though her eyes softened, "Even she dunno what she wants..." She sighed frustratedly and yanked her wrist out of Bull's grip, "Going to hit the sack. Am I allowed to do that or did Red order you to make sure I gotta lose my fucking mind too?" The qunari shook his head slowly and with that settled, the archer retreated back into her hell. As soon as she went inside her tent, she quickly took out the dagger she stole from the soldier and looked behind her. Bull's shadow was seen at the tent entrance, _good, fucker won't see this._ She stabbed at the tent with the dagger and began to cut down, _harder than I frigging thought, wish tits-on-fire could just burn this shit up for me._

"There," Sera whispered and quietly sawed down, ripping the tent ever so slowly so the tearing sounds would not alarm anyone. _Almost there!_ She cheered inwardly when she had made a big enough hole to squeeze through, instantly crawling on her hands and knees. The archer couldn't help but curse when she bumped into something however, _aw crap that was loud..._ She froze when she looked up at what she hit.

Sister Nightingale.

"Forgot that I work behind your tent?" Never before had Sera wanted to scream in frustration as badly as she did now.

* * *

 **The Fourth Day**

With all plans failed and now both Bull and Varric keeping watch on her, the archer gave up and sat in the tent, hugging herself under the pelts. There was nothing she could do and she wasn't allowed much else in case if she had tried to escape.

Nothing.

How she hated that word, hated not being able to do anything. It didn't matter if she was scared, or if the truth would be hard to deal with, she hated sitting and not being able to do a single thing about it. All she could do was drift in and out of sleep, haunted even by the good memories as they served as a reminder of what she had no longer. The feelings of warmth surrounded her in a gentle embrace, the scent of ash and charred wood enveloped her senses and helped create a vivid image of the mage. Sometimes when she was startled awake, for just those first few seconds she could hear and feel Ellana tucked behind her.

Just as she did now.

"I'm back," Lavellan whispered and clutched the city elf's waist, "You're cold..." _Shut up, tired of this shite._ "Sera?" _Happens every time. Even if you look back, she won't be there. Face it,_ Sera chewed her lip and fought against the overpowering urge to cry, _you've been left behind again._ _You're by yourself_ _again_ _, and you're better off this way._

"Just shut up and leave me alone," Sera grumbled, "Not enough for you to break your promise, gotta haunt too?"

"I think I kept it. I don't know about you, but it looks to me like I'm back." The archer stiffened in Lavellan's embrace when she felt something soft rest casually on her shoulder, she hesitantly looked back, _have I really gone nuts?_ The dalish mage had been covered in bruises and gashes treated haphazardly, dried blood clung here and there and exhaustion had been etched in the coal eyes that still managed to crackle with a fire full of life.

"Doesn't," Sera croaked and swallowed the large lump in her parched throat, "All that hurt?" She instantly melted when Ellana smiled warmly at her. _Just like her. Disappears and comes exploding back like nothing ever fucking changed._

"It's not a problem."


	14. Ain't It Obvious?

**Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!**

 **AN** **:** You're closer than you think to what I had thought of for Ena's next development for her magic, great minds think alike Nyx!

 **Quick Explanation:** Because Ellana doesn't understand the weight of her actions (not having the social context that we have), she seeks validity through words when it comes to feelings (something Sera doesn't typically do). And because subtlety is pretty much lost on her, she also requires these words or 'confessions' to be direct and blunt. Sera has her work cut out for her, huh?

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _Samahl melana sahlin:_ Samahl's [the brother] time has come

 _Din'an nadas:_ Death is inevitable

 _Ara ma'desan melar:_ I will hold you here

 _Ir abelas, mala suledin nadas, da'len:_ I am sorry [but] now you must endure, little one

 _Ma da'assan:_ My little arrow

* * *

 **Ain't it Obvious?**

* * *

 **The Night of the Fourth Day**

"Idiot! Why'd ya take so frigging long?! I was losing-" Sera quickly shot up from the pelts and out of the mage's embrace, "My mind!" She groaned when Ellana tilted her head, confusion etched on her features, _why?_ "I was..." The archer trailed off and averted her gaze to the ground, fists clenched and eyes swirling with conflicted emotions. Lavellan suppressed the pained grunts as she stood, the burning stinging engulfed every single muscle fiber of her body. _Need to go to the healers,_ she cautiously wrapped her arms around the city elf, worried about further infuriating both her and the wounds. "Maybe it's not a problem for you," Sera mumbled as if unsure of something, "But it was for me. All of us."

 _Not good,_ light ringing settled in the elven woman's ears and her vision had begun to blur, _just hold on for a little longer._ "Ir abelas," Lavellan corrected herself as she felt the archer tense, "Er-I'm sorry." In the distance the dalish elf heard the Seeker frantically shouting, Sera seemed to pay no mind to it or just didn't hear. _Just a little_ _longer,_ she hugged closer, uncaring of the pain that radiated stronger as she attempt to muster warmth. "Why are you so cold?" Irritation gnawed her nerves away when she couldn't conjure even the smallest amount of heat and the ringing had gotten louder the more she forced the fire to come forth. She hadn't been aware that two women had been calling out to her and dragging her by hooking each arm around their shoulders, her mind stubbornly insisted and remained locked on summoning warmth.

Back hitting something soft, Ellana had been pulled from her reverie and took in her new surroundings, confused. _When did I get here?_ Her eyebrows knitted together and her eyes trailed to Cassandra who stood behind Sera, _they look upset, why?_ The archer's lips were moving, but the white-noise had blocked every word. As the pain swallowed her mind, her vision blurred immensely and her back arched from the cot every time intense agony shot through. She hadn't been aware she was shouting or cursing in elvhen, her marked hand squeezing Sera's in an iron grip and her thoughts were absorbed by the fire that ignited every muscle fiber and spindle. Lavellan desperately fought the overwhelming darkness threatening to take hold of her as it did the entire time she struggled to survive after her escape in Haven.

 ** _If we're going through hell then we just gotta keep going, yeah?_**

"Se..." She couldn't hear herself over the white-noise, "Ra," she clutched the soft object in her hand tighter. The more the darkness clouded her vision, the harder she fought as she cried out in pain, it assaulted every single one of her senses. The metallic taste in her mouth, the smell of ash and charred flesh were more than enough to morph her frustration into anger and set her blood boiling. The images of countless dead bodies haunted her, especially the frozen limbs that stuck out of the snow when she had scaled along the mountain walls. Every single one of her injuries seemed small in comparison to the grim fate fellow troops had faced, and eventually she took solace in the pain as it served as a reminder that she was still alive. _I am somehow, and yet they're not._

 ** _Helps to know what's waiting for us on the other side._**

So many times she had wanted to break, give up. She had no idea where she had been going at the time, her survival skills had been sub-par since she never truly paid attention to Samahl's lessons. She couldn't bring herself to kill the nugs that skittered around in the caves she took shelter in, and she learned the hard way of what eating unknown vegetation did to her stomach. Everything looked hopeless, colorless, she had preferred to fight for survival against the dragon since she at least had adrenaline and the will to live. The overpowering darkness sent her mind back to the first day and she panicked, having thought she was actually stranded again. The entire time she couldn't think of anything else but the archer and found herself terribly missing her, each day spent without Sera stung worse than her injuries. Her body slackened, she was fed up, exhausted at the constant torment. _What's the point of struggling?_

 ** _There is a small flame that flickers in you despite the darkness choking you_** _._

Agony wracked both her mind and body, she retreated into a distant memory with the Keeper back in the days when Samahl had recently died. At the time she paid no attention to the Keeper, her wrath and sorrow clouded her mind as she broke down in choked sobs, "Why did it happen?!"

"Samahl melana sahlin. Din'an nadas."

"That doesn't explain why-"

"Only the strongest are put through the fire da'len," the Keeper knelt and hugged the distraught elf, the blood of the shemlen and Samahl clung to Ellana's tattered rags and seeped into her soul. "The forge creates things of great strength and beauty." Deshanna held tighter when the mage struggled to push away, "And you will be glorious by the time your journey ends. Ara ma'desan melar."

"Let go! How can you talk about that when Samahl is dead?!"

"Ir abelas, mala suledin nadas, da'len." Lavellan never forgave the Keeper for that night, but looking back on it now she saw the wisdom in her words and what Deshanna intended to teach. The memory faded and the darkness came back, along with a tiny flame at the end of the lonely tunnel.

 ** _Fire burns brighter in the darkness._**

Desperate for hope, for a way out, she reaches to touch the fire. Ellana thought it was her own, but when it danced along her fingers she grinned childishly at the sensation. _Wildfire_ , the warmth settled in and set her nerves ablaze, cleansing the pain that coated them. Exhaustion crashed down on her like tidal waves, she blearily opened her eyes and they darted to and fro, trying to make sense of the spinning world. She felt something squeeze her marked hand and she weakly squeezed back, her lips curled into a soft smile. "I'm back," she rasped, her throat parched and sore as if she had tried to shout the mountains away.

"You're back," the familiar accent whispered, "Looks to me you kept your promise."

Ellana's eyebrows furrowed, "You're still cold," she looked in the direction of the voice and focused on the blurry blob of gold, "I-I can't..." She tried to focus on conjuring fire and mumbled worriedly when Sera snickered quietly, "It's not funny, why won't you warm up?" _Just like Redcliffe... The future..._

"I'm not the one that's cold ye daft tit," Sera smoothed the mage's hair bangs out of her face and lightly raked her nails along the scalp, "That's you. Arsehole healer guy said something 'bout you using everything up," she whispered under her breath, "Said yer real lucky and didn't know how you're still alive..." She rubs her thumb along the back of Ellana's hand, tracing the veins pulsing under the sun-kissed skin. Lavellan's smile spread into a content lopsided grin, growing larger when the archer chuckled softly, "Weirdo. Happy just because of a bit of scratching..."

"Can't help it, feels really good. You sure you aren't a mage?" Sera flicked the dalish elf's forehead playfully then replaced it with a soft kiss, "Mmm… You missed. Me too, missed you."

"What?" The archer rolled her eyes and laughed when Ellana puckered her lips, "You're so lame," she leaned down and as if hesitant about something, tenderly tugged on the mage's bottom lip. A low moan bubbled in the back of her throat when Lavellan growled irritatedly and slid her hand around the archer's neck then pulled her down, the searing kiss had made the spinning world turn fuzzy instead. "Finally," Sera muttered as they parted for the unwelcome need for air, "Waited so long for this, kept dreaming 'bout it too..."

"Really?" Ellana focused on the razor sharp slits and grinned, "I did too. Maybe we met up in the Fade?"

"Ugh don't friggin' say that shite," Sera couldn't help but mirror the grin, "I still wanna sleep, weirdo."

Lavellan patted the spot beside the pelts, "Sleep with me then." _It's time I work on my other promise._

"Really need to quit saying shit that can mean something else," Sera all too eagerly took the offer and carefully slid underneath so as not to provoke Ellana's injuries. She's had more than her fair share of hearing the mage shout at the top of her lungs, and Sera hadn't felt like tracking down the healer to strangle him.

"That so? What if I wanted it that way?"

"Yeah right," Sera knew for a fact the mage wouldn't know about this, yet still hoped she might be proven wrong again, "Yer the friggin' mother of clueless weirdos. Always- _mmph_!"

 ** _Set me on fire._**

* * *

 **The Fifth Day**

Morning was less than peaceful, much to Ellana's surprise. She had been completely confused from the moment she opened her eyes, and the smell in the air reeked of fear, laced with anger. It all seemed to originate from the restless city elf who had pounced to her side when Sera saw she had awaken. Lavellan had tried to recall the previous night but only remembered that she had kissed the archer, _must have fallen asleep soon after._ Trembling fingers wove into her hair and turned her head in different directions, _what is she doing?_ "Idiot, shoulda gone to the healers first. Why the hell did you look for me?"

"I didn't look, I smelled."

"Same shit! Coulda saved yourself a world o' pain if you went to the healers instead!"

Lavellan sheepishly scratched her head and mumbled guiltily, "I needed to see you." _Why is she so upset?_

"And what the hell was with the friggin' dragon ye daft tit? Were you trying to get yourself killed?!"

"I was trying to live, it didn't give me much choice when it started breathing down my neck!" The tension was rapidly escalating and it didn't help that Ellana had still felt stiff and exhausted, _must have slept awkward._ The more Sera ranted about different problems, the more the mage pondered on what was actually wrong. _Been with you long enough to know you're skirting around what's really bugging you._ She rose her hands to signal the raving archer timeout, and tried to deal with the issue the only way she knew how.

Directly.

"What's actually wrong Sera?"

However, Lavellan hadn't seemingly been around long enough that charging in head on wasn't the way to squeeze information out of the elusive rogue. "I'm telling you half wit! Why don't you try listening for once huh?" Something in the city elf's tone screamed that she wasn't telling the complete truth, _definitely covering it up._

Ellana kept up the pressure, "I am listening, and all I hear is-what's that word you use for things like this? Bullshit?" She smirked in victory, though it was short-lived. Bracing her ribs and forcing herself to stand, she walks to the silent archer who averted her gaze to the ground. "Why won't you tell me?" If it weren't for her heightened senses, she would have missed the quiet whisper. _Not like her, usually loud._

"Stupid."

 _Can't say I didn't expect that,_ Lavellan reached out and slid her hands down the city elf's forearms before resting and squeezing her hands reassuringly, "I'm not asking you to right at this very moment but… Please trust me." She leaned forward and tenderly pressed her lips to the archer's forehead, "I'm going to go find out what our next move is, I'll see you later." Seeing what had remained of the Inquisition provoked her simmering anger, everyone had dark circles around their eyes and many were still mourning their loved ones. "Somebody's family," Ellana wove through the camp, bowing her head and keeping her eyes focused on the bickering advisors in an attempt to distract herself from what happened around her. "Somebody's best friend," the cries hurt her ears, the salt irritated her nose, and the chill in the air beyond frustrated her. _All cut down without a single thought, a single care. And for what?_

When she had made it to the advisors she rested her hands on the temporary war table, eyes scanning the map splayed before her. _To become god? Some god if that's how you treat the people you intend to 'lead'._ Her heart faltered, _how can I defeat something so powerful that aspires to god-hood?_ Her eyes darted to the soft green glow that emanated from her hand, she rose it to her face and inspected it carefully, _somehow I interrupted his plans, that's a start. Without it, this fight would have been over long ago and I would not have had the chance to stop him._ It unsettled her that she was considered a rival in the eyes of this monster, _I have the power he wanted…_

Steeling herself, Lavellan looked as sternly as she could at her advisors, _have to watch it, if I look anything like the Keeper then everyone will cower in fear instead_. Being more leader-like and commanding had always made her uncomfortable but right now it had to be done, "Arguing will only get us more headaches, we must unite ourselves. Now what's our next move?" The four stared at her incredulously and she looked back, confused. "Uh… Was it something I said?" They exchanged smirks and the Spymaster stepped forward, her smile akin to warmth and a hint of pride.

"More like something you did. In any case, my scouts are still out exploring some of the mountain trails, I've yet to receive any reports regarding where we can go."

"I believe I can help with that," Solas startled the dalish mage as he snuck up behind her, _how does he always do that? I can never smell him._ The apostate smiled coyly and gestured to Ellana, "A word if you have a moment?" _Now_ _he wants to talk? This better be_ _good,_ she nodded and followed him.

* * *

Cross-legged and crossed arms, Sera sat on the pelts and mulled over what the mage said. _Why was I so pissy? Feel like I forgotten something important._ Indecisive and frustrated on why she was truly upset had taken up all of her attention, she hadn't even noticed the towering giant looming over her. Her eyes were closed, and when Bull had knelt down and flicked her forehead she nearly toppled over. "What the hell was that for ye friggin' nug fucker?!"

"Damn, I feel sorry for the nugs," Bull grinned mischievously, "Came to check up on you, see if you're alright now that Boss is back. Expected you'd either be drunk off your ass with some hidden stash of mead, or bouncing around if you know what I mean."

"I do but she doesn't, which means it's not gonna happen. Besides she fucking fell asleep last night while we were making out, still moved a bit too. Who the fuck kisses while they're asleep? Such a frigging weirdo," her anger flared as she ranted and Bull simply laughed. He patted her shoulder reassuringly then stood to leave.

"Well, always got a chance to try again now, right? Grim times, best cherish what you got while it lasts," Bull waved and pushed apart the tent flaps then looked behind. "Glad to see life in your eyes again shrimp." He grinned and gave a thumbs up, "Take 'care' of the Boss." Back to the personal hell the archer made for herself, her mind immediately went back to the morning. _Something 'bout a dream, must've had another bad one then._ She desperately tried to ignore and forget about last night when Ellana had been screaming in pain, and soon her dream flashed within her mind's eye in bits and pieces. It hadn't been a dream per say, but a vivid recall of what had happened and she had re-lived the entire moment over and over again.

* * *

"What the fuck are you doing to her ye daft tit?! Knew magic was fucking bad, get your hands off her!"

"Healer," Cassandra glared sternly at the young man as she held down the thrashing mage, "Explain yourself, why is the Herald in this much pain if you're helping her?"

"The nerves and transmitter signals responsible for telling the brain about pain are either burnt or frozen. She's lost her sensation of pain and healing-bringing that back-means she's able to feel the extent of every wound on her body." The young man looked guilty and the green glow disappeared as he took a quick break, he wiped the sweat off his brow, "I don't have anything that can numb the pain, but she needs treatment right now. She's already lucky to be alive and I don't mean by surviving what happened in Haven," he hovered his palm over the dalish mage's forehead, "She has absolutely no magic in her. It seems she's quite literally burnt herself out."

"That why she's this damn cold?" Sera unexpectedly forced herself to remain as calm as best she could, if this guy was Ellana's best chance of survival then she could put off the urges to strangle him, for now anyways. He nodded when he looked at the archer, seemingly undeterred by the furious killing intent entrenched in the atmosphere.

"That's right, and if I don't treat her now… Well…"

"We have no choice then," Cassandra sighed wearily, "Find her a cloth to bite down on, Sera and I will hold the Herald down."

* * *

Sera was snapped out of her reverie when the tent had seemingly turned into a sauna and the mage that sat cross-legged in front of her, watching her curiously. "The heck you staring at?"

"You," Ellana's eyebrow rose in confusion, her matter-of-fact tone almost implied 'isn't it obvious?'

"Well duh, but I mean-ugh never mind. So, what happens to us now?"

"We move out tomorrow and head north, Leliana's scouts found a beaten path we can travel on and Solas confirmed that there's apparently somewhere we can go." She shrugged at Sera's skeptical look, "Don't ask, I don't know either. I guess when he slept he found it in his travels in the Fade?" Noting the archer's expression of anger and nervousness in her eyes, Lavellan reacted quickly in a desperate attempt to steer clear of another argument. She went with the next thing on her mind that had been bugging her for the day, "So why were you upset this morning?" She immediately winced and sighed, burying her hand in her palm as she muttered under her breath, "I'm an idiot..."

 _She really need it spelled out for her?_ "I-"

"Wait, let's just… I don't want to argue," the pleading look in the elven woman's eyes twisted Sera's stomach unpleasantly, it then flip flopped and buzzed when Ellana crawled towards her on all fours. "I missed you," she whispered then roughly captured the archer's lips, the sheer force nearly sent Sera toppling over. _She does this shite but don't get what it friggin' means to do it._ "You were right," Lavellan framed the city elf's head and kissed her forehead.

"As usual," Sera grinned when the mage nodded eagerly, "So what was I right about?"

"It helps to know what's waiting on the other side," Ellana's hands explored curiously as if on uncharted territory, humming to herself when it seemed as though she made an interesting discovery of some sort.

Sera chuckled softly, "Act like it's-" she growled when the mage silenced her then pushed her down on the pelts, not that she had actually minded when Lavellan crawled on top of her. "Liste-" she growled again at the intruding mouth, "Doing this on purp-" _again! What the hell?_ The elven woman's lips spread into a grin as she kissed Sera, _I am_ _so_ _on to you, arsehole!_

"Again," Lavellan whispered and parted, smoldering coal eyes clouded with lust and amber specks dancing with curiosity and excitement. _As if it's not fucking hot enough,_ Sera mused at the intense warmth enveloping the tent, it was getting harder to breathe and it didn't help when a painful ache settled in between her thighs at the sight before her. "It's happening again, what is this?" The mage lowered and teasingly tugged on Sera's lip, "This feeling..." _Fuck,_ the city elf rubbed her legs together, _needs to figure this out and fuck me already. Waited way too long for this._

Impatience got the best of Sera and she reached out, grabbing the dalish woman's hand then guiding it under her shirt to press against her stomach, "More you touch, more it'll make sense. Follow your instincts," _pouncing on her if she don't touch, 'specially higher. She'll figure it out one way or a fucking 'nother._ She chewed the corner of her lip as the curious yet confident hand slithered higher, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. _So close, c'mon higher…_ _N-needs to find out on her own, like before._ "S-shit..." _Hardly doing anything, still feels fucking good,_ the thick fog of desire was rapidly clouding her mind and judgment yet she desperately held on to sanity in order to allow the mage the time she needed to explore. _First move needs to be hers, can't take advantage or pressure a half wit who don't get what the fuck they're doing._ The pits of her stomach stirred at the hungry look in Lavellan's eyes as they followed the exploring hand, almost in awe and fascination of something.

"Can I taste?"

"W-what?" Sera stared incredulously, "You mean-"

"Your skin. New smell, wanna see what it tastes like," rather than waiting for the archer's answer Ellana leaned down and tentatively licked along Sera's stomach. _Fuck!_ The city elf clutched the pelts below her and her back arched slightly, the sparks that shot through her spine were somehow different than sensations she's felt in past experiences with previous partners. "Doesn't match the smell, where is it coming from…?" _Is she for fucking real?!_ Sera's heart lurched at the overbearing hope until a chastising voice crashed the party, _she doesn't understand any of this. Don't feel right if we toss the sheets when she don't get the meaning._ Reluctantly ignoring the urges demanding to encourage Lavellan to go further, the archer gently pushed her away by the shoulders. _Ain't the place, either. She deserves better. Fuck I know I'm going to regret this._ "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong luv, just… Shit I dunno how to say this. You don't get what this means, and it means a lot. It don't feel right for me to use you like this when you got no friggin' clue what yer doing." The wolfish grin and the fire in Ellana's eyes stirred something in the depths and conjured urges she's never felt before, it had actually made her frightened apart from wanting whatever it was demanding. She repressed the moan when the mage clambered higher and trailed her tongue along Sera's neck.

"What if I want to be used?" Lavellan whispered huskily, "I want to learn everything about you, I'll do whatever it takes." She hovered a mere two inches away from the archer's face and gazed into the depths of her eyes as if trying to look at her soul. "Your eyes tell me you want it, your smell tells me you need it, and this feels good so why hold back?"

It was a question that stumped Sera on more than one occasion, many times she took whatever she wanted without a single thought. If something or someone annoyed her, she'd drop it and move on. If they wanted to fuck, great, no strings attached. At this day and age along with the lifestyle she lead, you took pleasure wherever you could find it since tomorrow you might sooner find yourself dead than in bed. Her conflicting conscience made everything difficult, and the nagging feeling that kept telling her to just give it a try and see had still confused her to this day. The second Lavellan had hesitated recruiting her, Sera's first thought was to flip the bird and turn around, but something told her to stay, to just see where it would all lead. That was her only motivation to put up with the elfy elf's antics, and now? Now when it lead to her favorite part, she was reluctant for some reason. _Is it really taking advantage of her? What_ _am_ _I holding back for?_

 ** _Scared._**

Frustration rose and formed a lump in her parched throat, she couldn't answer Ellana. How couldn't she see it? The answer was clear as day, _yeah, I'm scared. It was never about taking advantage of her._ For days it's haunted her when she had truly believed the mage was dead and gone from her life. "Sera," Lavellan smiled reassuringly, "Please trust me." _I can't._ "I'll always come back." _You don't know that for sure!_ "Ma da'assan, I promise I will never leave you behind. You," she brushed Sera's lips and whispered, "Will never be alone ever again. **Trust** me,  please."

"How…?" Sera croaked out, _how did she…?_

"This morning," Ellana gave a brief peck and pulled back, grinning with pride, "Took me a while to figure it out, but I did. Last night we spent the night together, we woke up together. And all the things you were upset about-"

"Coz you were friggin' careless. Someone has to babysit you so you don't blow yourself up."

"You've never gotten that upset about my well-being before, you know I can handle it and knowing I'm okay is when you relax. All those things you were upset about were also things that would result in you being alone. Know what that screams?"

"No."

 ** _Yes._**

"You do know, stop being stubborn I'm the only one allowed to be stubborn."

"That so?" Sera rose her eyebrow and grinned playfully, "Who gave you that right?" Lavellan growled and roughly tugged on her bottom lip, her eyes glowing with a feral glint.

"Can't avoid it this time. Can't run away."

"Who says I'm running?" _Looks to me I'm staying._

"You. Your smell reeks of it."

"You can't smell crap like that!"

" **Stop**. **Running**. Admit it already, is it really so hard to say what you feel out loud?"

"Piss off I don't know what you want me to admit you daft fucking twat!" Sera flinched when the heat inside the tent intensified, the look in the mage's eyes had boiled with anger and she stood up, storming out without another word. Regret crashed down instantly and the archer's bitterness swallowed her, she huffed and slid under the pelts then yanked them over her head. Her eyes stung and burned yet she blinked furiously to stall the unshed tears. _There's nothing to admit! Ain't it obvious?!_

 ** _Is it really so hard to say what you feel out loud?_**

* * *

 **The Sixth Day**

After another round of treatment to ensure all wounds had been healing properly, Lavellan sat silently on her cot contemplating Mother Giselle's words and what the crowd did. Truth be told, she didn't mind the singing and liked that, it was all touching and heart-warming, her eyes glistened and an enormous amount of pride threatened to choke her. No, no, Ellana was A-okay, she could deal with this.

 _Who am I kidding?!_

Lavellan buried her face in her palms, yes it was the truth that she was proud of the troops for being so readily faithful and still willing to get back on their feet to fight, but that was also part of the problem.

They were faithful to her. They were willing to fight for her.

 _I'm no leader, or Herald!_ She wove her fingers through the roots of her hair then shook furiously, messing up and tangling her already-wildly-wavy hair. _What do I do? Say? If I turn them down, that would be like crushing their hopes and spitting on it too… I can't lead! All I know is how to fight,_ last night flashed in her mind and she gritted her teeth, _I can't even figure out my best friend!_

 ** _Idiot, shoulda gone to the healers first._**

 _No matter what I do, I'm always an idiot, I'm always doing something wrong._

 ** _And what the hell was with the friggin' dragon ye daft tit? Were you_** ** _trying_** ** _to get yourself killed?!_**

 _If she doesn't trust me…_ _How can I inspire faith for an army?_ Ellana groaned quietly then sighed, she stood and stretched out her stiff limbs. _It's out of my hands, all I can do is…_

 ** _Follow your heart, do what you feel is right because unfortunately you'll be criticized anyways._**

 _I wonder if Josephine knew this would happen?_ She stepped out of the healer hut and looked around the camp, everyone had been getting ready for the journey north. _Is that all I can do? Following my heart and instincts will lead me into battles. Not every one can fight. At least there'd be nobody to criticize me… Wait what am I thinking?!_

 ** _You are a symbol of hope, and that is all the people need._**

 _Is hope truly enough?_ Noticing one of the soldiers was struggling with a heavy crate she runs over and helps them stack it on top of another box. The soldier bowed gratefully and saluted her, Ellana sheepishly smiled and waved her hand dismissively, "It's not a problem." _Do they_ _have_ _to salute me like that? Feels so weird…_ Over the course of the day she had stayed alert for the archer's smell and steered clear whenever it got too close, _last thing I need-anybody needs-is us at each others' throats again._ As she helped in whatever way she could eventually she gave up, there were too many things she didn't know how to do and her attention waned even if she asked for people to teach her. All she could handle was either physical labor-in which she had to pace herself because of her injuries-and minimal things like lighting lanterns. Instead of feeling like she could actually lead people, she felt the complete opposite.

 ** _Scout to the North, be their guide._**

 _I am in need of guidance, how can I guide them? I can't even do anything to actually be of use around here,_ she grumbled and folded her hands behind her head as she walked down the camp. They were almost ready to leave, only a couple of tents were left to be rolled up and secured to the brontos. _Can't I just stick to roasting demons and blowing things up? Stick me in front of a dragon and my body will move naturally, stick me in front of a crowd and I'm frozen like a halla in an arrow's path._ She inwardly groaned, the urge to crawl away and bury herself had gradually grown stronger the closer everyone had gotten to being ready for travel. _This is going to be the toughest battle I've ever fought._

Lavellan never realized how close to the truth she was with that thought.

* * *

 **The Seventh Day**

Looking down the mountain, everybody was in awe of the massive fortress before them and cheered loudly, praising Lady Herald Lavellan. She hadn't felt like she earned it however, and cast a sidewards glance at Solas, _it wasn't me, it was him._ Raising her voice to be as loud as she could, she asked the crowd whether to press forth or to camp, naturally they voted to press forth. Why not? The fortress looked to be rather close and at least another hour of trek.

They were wrong.

Winds had picked up and the descent down the mountain was treacherous, Lavellan rushed back into the thick of the crowd where the sick or weak had been carried by others. _They are in the most immediate danger,_ she asked the ones carrying the cots with the sick to circle around her, then the weak on the row outside of that. With at least a meter of distance to be safe, Ellana closed her eyes and summoned flames to surround every inch of her skin. After that, others who saw the spectacle immediately sprang into action, either lighting up lanterns or conjuring their own fire in their palms to help keep each other warm lest the bone-chilling winds take them before they reached the fortress. _I didn't even have to do anything except… Do it myself? Aren't they scared of me like this?_

Lavellan looked around and was surprised to see that the Ambassador and Spymaster had wove through the crowd and walked outside the circle surrounding her, nodding reassuringly and smirking at her. _So then I did the right thing, that's a relief._ Her heart swelled with pride as they crossed the bridge and neared the gates, the sense of accomplishment that they had actually survived along with the fascination of such a massive place had been an overwhelming sensation. Soon, her heart swelled with something more overbearing than pride: joy.

Others had panicked when their Herald burst into tears, her flames flickered as the salty water droplets trailed down her skin and they had wanted to comfort her, soothe her, but couldn't-unless they wanted to get burned, literally. "I-I'm-" Ellana hiccuped and slurred as she continued to cry, "Alright, really!" She wiped her face with her forearm and accidentally extinguished the fire that swirled along that arm, the others had laughed when she had deflated and grumbled.

"Nothing can put out the fire except the tears of a phoenix huh?" Varric grinned a safe distance away from the fire, and his grin grew when the mage looked at him with a confused expression.

"What's a feenicks?"

"Seriously? Never heard those sorts of stories huh? It's a mythical bird," he chuckled when Ellana looked upset at the word 'bird', "Not a tiny one. As big as a dragon, and-you'll like this part the best-it's on fire." The mage switched and was obviously pleased, her radiant smile lit up her face. "Decided that's your new nickname, Phoenix. Suits you better than Thorns I think, and," Varric patted his satchel containing his manuscript and rough notes, "When we get all this shit settled here, you have to tell me everything that happened between you and that dragon right down to the exact detail. That shit was messed up, and messed up stories make the best stories."

"Deal," Lavellan grinned with excitement, just the very thought of surviving against that dragon set her blood boiling and filled her with adrenaline. "Next time we see that dragon, it's mine. I've a score to settle with it. Plus Corypheus, for interrupting the fight."

"Most people would run the hell away from a dragon, you know."

"I'm not most people," Ellana laughed when Varric muttered in agreement, then suddenly fell quiet when she heard another mumble easily discernible even in such a large crowd. Her heart squeezed painfully and conflicting emotions waged war inside her, she didn't know whether she should approach Sera or not. As they lifted the gates and explored inside, she got swept up in awe of the magic that seemingly leaked from the stones and got carried away as she smoothed her palm along the walls, eager to feel every nook and cranny.

By the time the curious elf had snapped out of her reverie, the familiar scent that always made her blood boil with wildly overpowering sensations had been difficult to track. Any time she got close, the smell would suddenly be far away, _she's avoiding me now._ At the end of the day, Lavellan found herself in a new situation in which even she knew what the consequences would be depending on her decision. _And with this, she'll always avoid me,_ the mage for once in her life had been hesitant in taking action but deemed it necessary. The crowd roared as she announced her vengeance for Corypheus and rose the sword to symbolize her acceptance of the Inquisitor role. Words echoed in the back of her mind and her heart felt weary, she had no idea what would happen in the days to come. As she watched the lithe form retreat in what was to be reconstructed as the new tavern, she knew that whatever would come…

Would not be Sera.

 ** _Not most people, not nobody. Weirdo._**

* * *

 **One Week Later**

Clasping hands behind head and casually walking around her new room, Sera decided enough hide and seek. For the entire week the two took turns playing tag, when one sought out the other the second person would hide. Then the next day the roles were swapped, and today was Sera's day for hiding if she paid any attention to the pattern. She was so far able to keep Bull off her case by blaming it on Ellana running around trying to help with the renovations and how tired the mage had been as such. And it was partly true, any time Sera would take a break from setting up the territory she claimed in the tavern, she'd steal a couple peeks at the elven woman. At the moment Lavellan was walking to the main hall-or more like escorted by Cassandra-and had extremely dark circles around her eyes with shoulders slumped. _Idiot, why didn't you take any breaks? And you-_ she glared at the Seeker- _why didn't you tell her to take any breaks? Someone's got to babysit that idiot._ She sighed when the chastising voice made way into her thoughts.

 ** _Everyone knows that's your job. Told Red you're the best damn person, right?_**

 _Shut up, ain't doing this stupid talking to myself bullshit._ She looked down and scanned what was left to do for her own room and sighed at the broken planks sitting in a pile, _taking me this frigging long to get rid of all this. Weirdo over there's jumping all over the bloody place, no wonder she's that damn tired._ An idea hit her head when she heard the new usual patrons shout and cheer across her room. Out of all the buildings, the tavern had been the first and fastest to be renovated by the troops and Josephine had somehow managed to secure a fair stockpile of alcohol for everybody to drown themselves in. _We'll just play tag again if I go to her, and she needs to loosen up._ Sera searched her room for her coin purse, _crap where'd I put it?_ Patting herself down, she groaned when it had been hooked on her belt beside a dangling thin piece of rope, _always the last bloody place you look, and always the first most obvious place to try._ As she ordered a bottle and grabbed a couple mugs, she couldn't help the doubts that crawled into her thoughts. _What if she don't want to see me?_

 ** _I'm still upset, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop caring._**

 _Still expects something from me, admit what?_ Sera inwardly scoffed as she made way up the steps and asked Varric about Ellana, _nothing to admit. If she don't get-by_ _now_ _-that I like her and she likes me, then she's the idiot, not me._ She ignored the dwarf's snide comments and followed in the direction he pointed, careful not to trip on the rubble that decorated the main hall. Passing the first door as per Varric's instruction, she opened the second and cautiously climbed up the stone steps. Ellana's smell had grown stronger and she hesitated at the last door, the scent tormented her, it refused to leave her alone and haunted her constantly. Now she was smothered by it of her own accord, she looked down at the mugs in her hands and inwardly groaned at the doubts. _What's the big deal? I know I'm right._

 ** _Next time just come inside, I'll always warm you up._**

"Yo Ena!" Sera opened the second door and nonchalantly strolled up the steps as if she had entered the room a thousand times over, though her eyes darted around to analyze every detail. She heard huffing and groans, _the hell is she doing?_ Her stomach churned pleasantly, _she frigging herself? Sounds like it._ As she climbed up the steps she froze, eyes widened and she nearly dropped the mugs, _hotter than her frigging herself._ In all the situations she's survived or caused, Sera had never once in her life thought that training was a big deal. Her body had adapted to her lifestyle and had her naturally built for whatever she needed to do, she never understood the merit of purposefully slaving yourself away.

Until now.

Lavellan had been carefully balancing on her hands, her shirt clinging to the underside of her breasts and her legs spread out in a wide V. As she slowly brought those legs together again she released a controlled breath, her stomach and arms tensing to remain upright. _She used to be flabby and now…_ Sera's eyes remained glued to the mage's abdomen, Ellana's dedication had started to pay off as the tone was becoming significantly easier to notice. The archer hadn't known that Lavellan stopped the exercise and stared-upside down-at Sera as she remained balanced, frustration simmering in the depths of the tired eyes. Her voice startled Sera out of her reverie, "I'm not in the mood." Legs moving forward, she gracefully hopped back on her feet and rotated her shoulders, stretching out the strained muscles. She moved the broken plank and rested it against the wall, _she was balancing on that while it was friggin' wobbling?_ "And I know you didn't come here just to drink." _Well, there goes that excuse._

"Yer right, I'm not," Sera replied casually and set the bottle down on one of the run-down tables nearby. "Look," the city elf let out a frustrated sigh, "I don't know what you're angry at me for."

"Now you know how I feel for the majority of the time." _What the fuck's she so friggin' uptight and bitter for?_

"The hell do you want me to admit Ena? There's nothing you don't already know," she cringed when the smoldering coal eyes shone brightly with feral anger, and her instincts demanded she protect herself when the mage advanced towards her. _She'd never hurt me,_ that trust had become increasingly fragile the closer Ellana got.

"You're still in denial, after all this time?" Lavellan snarled, "You know what? Forget it. I've been busting my ass trying to fix all the broken things I come across, but it's hopeless to even try when some things don't want to be fixed."

"Oh, I have to be fixed now that it? What shite was getting serious but you remembered I'm not all elfy elf?"

"No Sera," Ellana turned around and walked to her desk, "It was you who remembered I'm the 'elfy elf' and you who wavered when you knew it was 'getting serious', as you say." She pulled something from her drawer and walked back to Sera, opening her palm and dropping a ring. "For what it's worth, if it's worth anything to you, I made that for you. It's 'elfy elf', though," Lavellan spat bitterly, "It'll help strengthen the pendant that you're not wearing." The mage head towards the bed and clenched her fists, infuriated by Sera's silence, "I'll never get you, you come here searching but you won't admit the search. What does any of this even mean?"

 ** _Is it really so hard to say what you feel out loud?_**

Opening her palm and smoothing her thumb along the ring, Sera thoughtlessly muttered, "Not nobody, not nothing." This backfired on her, and soon she found herself with her back slammed and trapped between a wall and a fire. _What the fuck's her deal?!_

"That's all you have to say? Everything we've been through, and you spit on it and say nobody?! Nothing?! Do you have any idea, any idea at all what I've-"

"I didn't mean that you fucking flame-brain! Calm down before you explode!" Sera gritted her teeth when the searing heat stung on her shoulders from where the elven woman tightly gripped, "I was saying you're not nobody, that you ain't nothing!" _Somebody, something._ She sighed frustratedly when the dalish elf slackened her hold, confusion and curiosity swirling with the lingering anger. "Fuck Ena, I already said there's nothing you don't already know. I like you, you like me, is that what you were waiting for me to 'admit'? This shit's obvious to everyone but you, ye clueless twat." Her patience was rapidly dwindling the more the mage gaped at her with confusion, she slowly spoke.

"Does that mean you care?"

"It isn't obvious?" Sera groaned when the mage shook her head, _fuck sake I hate this word bullshit, how the hell do I get it through her thick head?_ "Lemme put it this way, it's not every day I let somebody burn me up and kiss the fuck outta me. I don't let nobody near me, 'specially elfy elves. Means something yeah?" She sighed at the lost look and averted her gaze as she mumbled, ears slightly throbbing with heat, "Yeah, I care 'bout you. Lots. Idiot." She reached behind her and fumbled blindly until she felt what she was looking for then skillfully untied the knot with her thumb and finger. Bringing it forward, she smirked at the look of surprise on Ellana's face, "And for your information, I am wearing your stupid pendant. Snapped the string so now I tie it, only reason I'm still wearing this bloody belt."

"You kept it…?" Lavellan croaked out hoarsely, conflicting emotions evident in her eyes as the tide would switch from regret to joy, guilt to something Sera determined it was the desire that was still unknown to the mage.

 ** _Told you you're special to me._**

"How's that for admitting that yer special to me too? Weirdo."


	15. Difficult Decisions, Easy Choices

**Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!**

 **AN** **:** Though the fighting style has been around for an incredibly long time, I don't believe the country exists in Dragon Age lol. Therefore, when you see "The Art of Eight Limbs" I am referring to the style of Muay Thai (Street Fighter Sagat or Adon anyone?) I only know a couple things about it so I'm sorry if there are any people who are dedicated to the style. The misunderstandings continue… But hopefully the attempted humor helps ease things up!

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _Ma isala halani:_ [Are] you in need of help

 _Lasa ghilan:_ Grant/give [me] guidance

 _Emma'salin:_ I am victorious (enasalin is shortened to 'salin)

 _Atisha:_ peaceful

 _'_ _Ma vhenan'ara:_ My heart's desire (emma shortened to 'ma, ma=you, 'ma=my)

 _'_ _Ma da'assan:_ My little arrow

* * *

 **Difficult Decisions, Easy Choices**

* * *

"So Phoenix, what did you think of Hawke?"

"She's… Hmm..." Ellana rested her chin on her palms as the dwarf and her looked out from the battlements, "The ones who have noticed her presence seem scared or shocked for some reason, but she's a shem like them so I don't get why. Seems nice to me, and really strong," her competitive spirit demanding for a fight had been clear as day to see and Varric shook his head, a smirk on his lips.

"She's something of a… Famous person, that's why the others are shocked to see her, she is nice though. My best friend that I'd go to hell and back with, heck we already have a couple times. How do you know she's strong? And no, before you ask you can't fight her."

"I can smell the magic clinging to her," Ellana shrugged when the dwarf gave her an incredulous look, "Solas taught me how to meditate, helps with my magic and I can pick up on things easier now."

"You're still training huh? Don't you ever take a break?"

"I can't," Lavellan's expression darkened, "Even without Solas's training, I could smell Corypheus's magic. I wish I didn't, but, now I know it's going to take a lot more than blowing up his plans to stop him. I want to make sure I'll be prepared to fight him and put him down once and for all." At this Varric shifted uncomfortably and sighed frustratedly, Ellana patted his shoulder reassuringly, "It's not your fault. We'll make this right Varric, I promise."

"Yeah… That's if I'll survive the Seeker first," he chuckled pathetically and waved off the mage's concern, "I'll be fine. So… You and Buttercup huh?" Varric smirked mischievously, "How does she train you?"

"Hmm… It's not traditional training in which I have to do something to get better. I don't have to do anything except be around her," she smiled as she gazed in the distance, "She keeps me on my toes all the time."

"So what, she makes you do two hundred push ups with her sitting on your back or something?"

"Nothing like that, she doesn't train my body or mind, but something far more important than that." Lavellan pushed off the railing and missed the look of confusion on the dwarf's face, "Bull's ready for me, I'll see you later Varric. If Cass gives you a hard time you let me know, I've always wanted to fight her!" The mage rushed down the battlements and took a leap half way down, wobbling unsteadily when she landed awkwardly. "Got to practice more of those," she mumbled as she ran over to the qunari, "Alright, what's next?"

"Are the exercises you doing now becoming easier?" Bull grinned with pride when the dalish woman nodded, "Let me check your arms and legs first," he walked to her and palpated her muscles then nodded with astonishment, "I might not actually break you, damn you've got some tone..."

"Will you teach me how to fight then or do I need to train more?"

"Keep it up, but I can start showing you some moves yeah. I'll show you some other things that'll help out with technique and to start hardening some of your softer spots."

"Softer spots?"

"Things that can only be beefed up through constant hitting and fighting, our favorite right Boss?" The qunari grinned at the eagerness in Ellana's eyes, "Shit, if someone told me I was going to be training the leader of a pissed off army in hand-to-hand combat I'd have laughed the tan off your ass. Come on let's head to the ring." As they moved to the pit several soldiers stepped out and saluted Ellana, she smiled sheepishly and nodded, _I'm never going to get used to that, going to take a while before everyone drops the saluting._ Something familiar in her peripheral vision brought her attention to the tavern window and she waved at Sera.

"Hey Sera! Watch me! Bull and I are finally gonna fight!"

" **What**?!" The archer hopped out and jumped down the small roof, glaring at Bull who rose his hands in surrender, "If you break her, I swear I-"

"Relax I'm only going to show her techniques, I won't do them on her. It'll be good if you see this so she has a partner to practice this with," the qunari smirked mischievously at Sera's slack jawed expression and laughed when Lavellan cheered.

"Hell no! You already roast me to bits now you wanna beat the crap out of me?!"

"Aw come on I wouldn't really hurt you- _much_ -besides instead of arguing we can just fight right?" Ellana slammed her fist in her palm and grinned with feral delight as her competitive spirit rose higher and higher, _today's the best I've had in weeks! Meet Hawke, learn fighting, get to fight with Sera!_ She missed the way Bull snickered and used his fingers to quote 'fight', Sera groaned and buried her face in her hands.

"Alright Boss, ready?" He moved forward when she nodded, "The style I'll teach you is something I think you'll like-it will turn your entire body into a weapon." He emphasized his point and lifted her hands in front of her face, "Your hands are the swords," he tapped her forearm, "Your shins and forearms will need to be hardened. They will be your armor," he pointed to her elbows, "These here will be like a mace and think of your legs as an axe or staff. Your body moves as one unit with eight points of contact instead of two," his eye darkened and mirrored the mage's excitement, "This is called The Art of Eight Limbs." He knelt down and inspected Ellana's shins, "After I show you a couple things, your homework today is to convince Sera to smack these babies with something to toughen up the skin. Bags of grain or flour maybe."

"I can't even lift that shit ye daft tit!"

Bull grinned, "But you're willing to help the Boss train right?"

The archer hesitantly looked at Lavellan and sighed, the mage had employed her infamous pleading puppy eyes but Sera stood her ground. "Ain't budging. This is friggin' stupid if you ask me, flame-brain isn't gonna be punching dragons so what's the point?"

"Not yet, but she will once she knows how," Bull smirked when Ellana nodded eagerly, "Just think how awesome it'd be if you could set your elbow on fire and slam it in the dragon's face?!"

"Don't encourage her dammit!"

"If Sera won't train me that's okay, there are always trees if you teach me some kicks. Or I could ask the Seeker, it'll also be practice for fighting a dragon." The qunari bellowed out as he stood and patted Lavellan's shoulder as gently as he could to avoid breaking her.

"I like how you think Boss, in any case Sera demons ain't the only thing we fight anymore. Good to stay fit and know all sorts of ways to kick ass."

"Oh so yer saying she's gonna start elbowing the fuck out of big helm polishers, or kick a bloody dragon's tooth out? Whatever," Sera scoffed and turned around to head back to the tavern, "Time better spent drinking mead and having fun, something someone's forgotten to do." _Me?_ Ellana exchanged concerned glances with the qunari and shrugged in confusion, _why is she worried about that? This is fun for me._ "Let me know when yer done tossing 'round in the muck with the big guy." The archer's bitter tone was heavily laced with something else Lavellan couldn't pinpoint, something she wasn't accustomed to hearing. Bull sighed and face-palmed, and the mage had felt nervous for some reason.

"Great," Bull turned to the elven woman, "Sorry Boss, that's gonna make things real awkward for you now huh?"

"What? Why?"

"You mean… Wait you really don't know?" The qunari didn't know whether to laugh or cry at Ellana's obliviousness, he patted her head reassuringly before messing up her hair, "Don't worry about it. I'll talk to her after we're done here. For now, let's get started on the kicks then alright?" At that, Lavellan nodded eagerly and her competitive spirit came rocketing back at full force, and for once in her life she had paid attention to a lesson.

* * *

 **Through the Eyes of a Ben'Hassrath**

Lying on the ground, head spinning and eyes desperately trying to focus on the fluffy white clouds in the sky, Ellana struggles to get her bearings. "Damn Boss," Bull grinned and offered his hand to help the mage up, "That's some stamina you got there." He winced when he could feel heat bore into the back of his head, _shit Sera's got good ears, forgot._ "Real nice elbow strikes, even I'll be feeling those later. By the way how far have you gotten with your push ups?"

"Only one hundred," Lavellan wheezed then took Bull's offer, "One arm." _Was gonna say by now she should do more than a hundred, but one arm? Damn._

"Shit, keep this up and you'll be doing one finger push ups. Definitely shows on your arms though, all in how long?" _Used to be nothing but skin and flabby mush._

"Month and a half now I think."

"Gotta say Boss, never expected you to be into this. Forget 'elves', don't see too many people like you with a love for fighting and training." _Thought she'd just stick to her magic tricks, here she is bringing two of the most dangerous shit in the world. Crazy,_ "Let's get some drinks and relax." As they entered the tavern Bull groaned inwardly when the heat at the back of his head seemed to get even hotter, _Boss is too clueless to know what's up, and Sera just ain't gonna say it._ He grumbled as he sat in his usual spot and patted the chair beside him, _what the hell is Sera holding back for? If she did the deed none of this shit would happen._ He eyed the exhausted mage beside him, _'less they did and I didn't pick up on it?_ "Hey Boss, how far have you and Sera gotten?"

"Huh? For what?" Lavellan gripped the edge of the chair with one hand and slowly bent to the side to pick up a bottle from the floor then inspected it. Empty.

"You know, in your relationship. How much have you two done? You two sleeping together or what?"

"Oh yeah lots of times now," _what?!_ "She's a handful though, always shouting." _How didn't I see or_ _hear_ _this?_

"Because of you?" Bull couldn't help the pride that swelled up in him, _she's grown up a lot._

"Yep!" Lavellan beamed a radiant grin, "Sera can't handle the heat!" The qunari's booming laughter gained the attention of many of the patrons as it vibrated the tables and shook the air, suddenly crashes were heard on the floor above along with frantic footsteps thundering towards them. Bull and Ellana looked at the top of the stairs, their heads simultaneously tilted to see who was causing the ruckus and there stood the archer, hands on knees and breathing heavily.

Sera inhaled deeply and then shot a glare at the dalish mage, "Quit saying shit people could take wrong you fucking half wit!" She rushed down the steps and grabbed Lavellan's wrist then started pulling her away, leaving the confused qunari by himself. _So… They didn't have sex yet? Seriously?_ He slumped in his chair as he mused, _she_ _must be serious if she's actually waiting._

* * *

"W-wait slow down Sera, I'm really sore," Lavellan grunted at the aches and pains as the archer ignored her plea and dragged her up the steps. _Not sore coz of me,_ "Where are we going?"

"Your room," Sera seethed, "Away from The Iron Bullshit." Before they could get away however they bumped into the Spymaster, and the tension in the atmosphere changed drastically. Even Sera could smell something was wrong, and the solemn look in Leliana's eyes made her nervous.

"Inquisitor, there is something you need to know..." She handed the report to the mage and Sera looked over Lavellan's shoulder to read as well. _Clan?_ Sera watched the mage from the corner of her eye, _this where she came from then, all the elfy elves?_ Peering back at the report, she inwardly groaned as she read, _fuck, this is_ _not_ _good._ Ellana had tensed as hard as a rock, her jaw clenched to the point you could hear her teeth grind against each other and steam rose at the edges of the report. Leliana quickly grabbed it out of her hands before the paper had burned, "I know how you must feel but I assure-"

"You have no idea how I feel," Lavellan spat bitterly, "You shems and your fucking… Once again, as usual, innocents are punished for no reason except stories and rumors. It's not enough to be driven from our lands is it? We have to die just for walking on soil the shemlen care naught for? For just existing?" The heat in the room intensified and the Spymaster looked pleadingly at Sera, _what the hell do you think I can do? She's got a right to be pissed, ain't nothing gonna calm her down. She's a freaking storm, just let her run her course._

"I apologize this is happening Inquisitor, but if you allow me to explain I do have a plan that will ensure your Clan they-"

"No. No plan," Lavellan turned around, "If shems are the problem, they are not the solution," her bitterness and rage clouded her mind, _shit luv I know yer pissed but that's harsh, even if Red's scary she still cares._ "I'm handling this personally."

"You can't."

Ellana whirled around angrily, "And why can't I?! They're my family! My duty to protect-"

"The Inquisition comes first," Leliana calmly stated, the air had felt thick and heavy, it was getting more difficult to breathe from the rising heat. "You've trusted me with your Clan before, I'm asking you to trust in me again. I have my suspicions on why the bandits are attacking and dealing with them only may not fix the root problem." Sera sighed when it seemed that the mage was unwilling to back down, _this idiot, can't even see past her nose that Red's right._ _Why's it gotta be me to fix this shit?_

"Ena," Sera braced herself and squeezed the mage's shoulder then quickly retracted her hand. Ignoring the stinging she continues, "Just trust Red on this. She knows what she's doing." She grimaced at Lavellan's glare but refused to back down, and the mage averted her gaze, mumbling quietly.

"Do you trust her, Sera?" _Ugh, shit. You know I don't trust nobody. Gotta sell it or shit's going to hell._

"Yep." As the silence stretched, Sera increasingly felt uncomfortable, _not like her to be so quiet._ It didn't help when several bystanders had been watching the heated exchange, adding a level of awkwardness to the situation as well. _Just hurry up and make up your mind, don't wanna spend another minute round these stuffy poncy arseholes._

"Alright," Ellana reluctantly agreed but avoided eye contact with Leliana, "But if anything goes wrong..."

"It won't," Leliana stated confidently, "I will get to work at once Inquisitor. Good day," she bowed her head and glanced at Sera, nodding appreciatively for the archer's help. _Didn't think flame brain would actually listen,_ the city elf mused and quietly followed Lavellan to her quarters, watching how her shoulders slumped as if she wanted to crawl somewhere and hide. _She's really that worried?_ When they reached the room, Sera instantly made herself at home and sat cross-legged on the bed while Ellana brought over the broken plank to the center of the room.

"You know, when Red helps them out why not just ask them to come here? Safest place now."

"It's not that simple," Lavellan takes a few minutes to orientate herself on the wobbly plank, balancing on it with her hands. "The clan," she mumbled quietly, "It'd be hard for them to adjust. If they were willing to adjust."

"Well," Sera shrugged, "If they're anything like you they'd be fine. You 'adjusted' somehow right? As long as they don't blow shit up it's-"

"I said- _ck_ -it's not that- _hah_ -simple," the mage slowly spread her legs out in a V and huffed, trying to control her breathing as she brought them back in. " _Tch_ -still sore." Fixing the position of her hands on the plank and looking up at the archer she continues, "My clan is deeply rooted in tradition. An open mind is not really something we have, if they were to see us..." She averted her gaze as she trailed off, Sera's bitterness immediately rose to the surface.

"I'm not elfy enough for them? That it?"

"It's not that, not really." Ellana hopped back on her feet and placed the plank away, her mood for training completely eradicated by the topic. Her back faced the archer, she couldn't bring herself to look, "It's betrayal. On my part."

"What? You lost me."

Lavellan sighed frustratedly and raked her hand through her firebrand hair then spun angrily, the bitterness gnawed away her judgment, "As next in line to lead the clan, it would be shameful of me to be seen with you." Wrong answer. _These are the pricks I just helped save? Maybe they're better off in the muck._ Sera's jaw hung ajar and painfully locked into it's place as it tensed, her fists tightly gripped the pelts yet all this was lost to the dalish elf before her. "Some clans tolerate having a female as your bond-mate but it's still shameful. Ours doesn't tolerate it at all, your mate is expected to be-"

"Shut. Up." Sera seethed through clenched teeth, "I don't care about your elfy rules." _I shoulda fucking known, this tit is always up high and mighty when it comes to 'duty' and stupid useless shite like that._ Hearing in detail about why the clan would reject her was too much, and she knew all too well what was to come with how strong Lavellan's bond to family is. The woman would sacrifice anything and everything if it meant the safety of her clan, and she would fight to the bitter end even if it cost her life. _Bet she wouldn't do that for me, I'm not elfy 'nough. I'm not family, just a fucking 'friend', without the fucking! Which reminds me,_ "Mate huh," Sera scoffed, "So you do know where the fuck babies come from or are you still fucking clueless?"

"All I know is that it results in some sort of joining between a man and woman but Keeper never elaborated nor provided me with readings regarding the joining. Guess it wasn't an elvhen rite I had to learn," Ellana shrugged then cautiously made way to the city elf, "You're upset, why?" _A 'rite'? Is she fucking serious? Does she even know why the fuck we bleed every month or does she think ants bit her in the fucking crotch?_ She swatted away the mage's hands and glared at her silently, Lavellan sighed. "Alright, I won't pressure you. I'll give you some space before we argue, as usual."

When she stood to leave Sera whispered quietly, "If you had to choose between me and your family, who-" her voice wavered and she clutched the pelts tighter, "Who would you..." She couldn't finish the question.

 ** _Why are you asking idiot?_**

The temperature in the room dropped and Sera stole a glance, the mage had frozen in her place before she descended the stairs, a haunted look on her face and her eyes distant. Ellana shook her head sadly and slowly made her way down, the click of the door echoed in Sera's ears and her heart constricted painfully.

 ** _You already know the answer._**

* * *

Ellana's conscience was deeply conflicted by the first answer that popped into her mind, _no hesitation, nothing. Why did she have to ask that?_ At times like these she has learned to seek the advice of someone either unbiased or offered perspectives she didn't necessarily agree with. In this case, it was perspective. "Ma isala halani, lethallan?"

"Yes," she sighed frustratedly as she sat cross-legged on the scaffolding while Solas painted on the wall beside her, "Lasa ghilan. Sera asked me a difficult question and I am troubled with my answer."

"Sera asked a **difficult** question?" Solas asked incredulously, then immediately squashed his amusement when he noticed the dejected mage slump deeper in despair, "What was the question and answer?"

"She asked who would I choose between her or my clan. I didn't outright tell her but in my mind," Lavellan buried her face in her palms. The guilt rose rapidly and with it, anger at herself. "After everything that's happened and I pick..." She groaned, "Why does it matter? Why can't I have both? Why wasn't that the first answer in my mind, I could save both, I don't have to choose between those two! Or I could sacrifice myself, why didn't I-" she was cut off when Solas had knelt and placed his hands on her shoulders, squeezing gently to direct her attention to him. Her eyes watered in frustration and she dug her palms harder against her sockets to stop from crying, "I don't understand any of this."

"It's a natural response, you were born and raised by them. Sera should understand by now that your family is important to you and that you'd-of course-pick them first if you've been with them all your life."

"What?" She rose her hand from her hands and blinked, confused by the apostate's answer.

"You did pick your family right?" Solas's eyes narrowed in disapproval, "Don't tell me you actually…?"

"I choose Sera," the tone suggested it an unarguable fact, and Lavellan wondered why Solas had assumed family first. Before she could ask however, they were interrupted by a new presence in the room.

"Excuse me," the two elves looked down at the messenger waiting at the bottom of the scaffolding, "Lady Montilyet has called for a meeting in the war room and has asked for the presence of the Inquisitor and her companions."

* * *

"I'll get right down to business Inquisitor," Josephine had a bright smile on her face, and bright smiles taught Lavellan one thing.

 **RUN.**

However before she could, the Spymaster had blocked the doorway, also with a coy smile, and Leliana's smiles taught Lavellan the second thing.

 **DOOM.**

For Ellana anyways. She looked pleadingly at her companions in a desperate attempt to rescue her before she was thrown to the wolves, but nobody rose to the challenge. They all shared one thing in common: a look of sympathy. This was the worst part about being the Inquisitor, it was mostly politics and little fighting-or at least the type of fighting that the mage preferred. "I have been able to secure invitations and our way inside for Empress Celene's ball next week," despite the accomplishment, the Ambassador remained modest in demeanor.

"This will also allow my scouts the time it will take to find the Champion's contact in Crestwood," Leliana added and noted the worried look in the dalish elf's eyes, "Rest assured Inquisitor, that matter is also being handled."

So far so good, Lavellan hadn't seen any immediate danger regarding this meeting, and chalked up the notions of impending doom to her imagination. "Now as I understand it," Josephine glanced at her board and seemingly scribbled something down, "You thoroughly enjoy training, yes Lady Lavellan?"

"Uh, yeah?" Ellana's instincts screamed at her to escape, but her curiosity demanded she stay and see why her stomach was causing such a ruckus. The quiet snickers and whispers of 'good luck' from her companions did little to appease the rising nervousness.

"Perfect! Leliana and I will personally train you on etiquette and dancing! You're okay with that I hope?" The room roared and laughed in disbelief, snide comments and teases with the oblivious mage at the center of all jokes. All she did was tilt her head in confusion, eyebrow risen with a skeptical look at all the howling companions, she shrugged as she looked at the Spymaster who had a coy smile gracing her features.

"It's not a problem."

* * *

It was **DEFINITELY** a problem. Ellana grumbled as she frustratedly tugged on the cloth tucked in her way-too-Fenedhis-tight collar and looked down at her plate. After observing what little the mage knew on table manners, Team Save-The-Inquisitor-From-Dying-For-Choosing-The-Wrong-Fork, courtesy of Varric's ingenious ability to name things, decided Lavellan's first challenge was to learn how  not to openly salivate at all the delicious looking food in front of her. "The other fork Herald," Leliana stated for the umpteenth time, "No not that one. Other one."

"There's too many forks! Why do shems have so many?! In the forest we would impale and eat the meat from the stick, why-"

"To be precise, what you have in front of you is steak," Josephine interjected politely, "There is only one thing you need to remember when it comes to choosing the correct utensil." The snickering companions that had watched from the table across the great hall never ceased making jokes at the expense of Ellana, and this was slowly chewing away her confidence and eagerness to learn. "Start from the outside and work your way in."

"Where, right, left, at the top?"

"Right and left, top is for later courses which you probably will not be able to attend so you need not worry."

At the moment the mage employed all the lessons Solas had taught her on meditation. As her eyes gazed distantly at the slab of meat, her mind wandered aimlessly in a desperate attempt not to drool. However, the aroma brought her mind back every time and good thing too, for nobody could snap her out of her reverie to stop her from salivating **even more**. Her body had a mind of its own, therefore the only option was to remain conscious... And have a staring contest with the steak. "You won't beat me," Lavellan mumbled, "I will be the one that comes out victorious in this, you're nothing but meat."

"Excuse me Inquisitor but are you..." Leliana exchanged hesitant looks with Josephine, "Trash-talking food?"

"I WILL CONQUER THIS CHALLENGE!" Ellana announced and her companions cackled loudly behind her, the joy and laughter spurred on the mage's competitive spirit. She grinned wildly and lowered to be eye-level with the steak, the Spymaster pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

"Josie, perhaps we should teach her dancing instead? With luck maybe the Inquisitor will forgo eating."

"Tch, good luck with that," Sera mumbled quietly in the shadows, and Lavellan looked around to try and find the source of the voice. Before she had much of a chance to spot the lurking archer, the Ambassador agreed with Leliana's idea and helped the mage to climb out of her seat without knocking anything over.

"To the Inquisitor's quarters then, Leliana do you think you can ask the bard to spare her drum for the evening? It may help Lady Lavellan learn the steps if she danced to a beat." At that the Spymaster nodded and left, and before the group moved on to the quarters Ellana quickly stole the steak off the plate and wolfed it down, happily patting her stomach and smirking in triumph.

"Told you! Emma'salin!"

* * *

One whole hour passed before Leliana and Josephine had been able to calm down the wild beast known as Ellana. After exposing the mage to the drum and not suspecting the dire ramifications as such, Team Save-The-Inquisitor-From-Dying-For-Taking-The-Wrong-Step, again courtesy of Varric, decided Lavellan's first challenge was to not touch or bang the drum. The two advisors were beginning to sense the pattern and now knew why the companions were whispering 'good luck', for it wasn't for Ellana at all oh no.

It was for them.

Several of the group members had their fill of fun and decided to escape before they were dragged into the mess, all that remained was Sera who quietly watched from the balcony above the bed and Varric who simply felt sorry for the courageous souls attempting to teach Lavellan. It wasn't that the dalish elf wasn't interested nor putting in effort, in fact it was the very opposite and she was giving everything she got and more. But that was the problem, she was too energetic and kept asking too many questions that had no answers thus detracting from the main lesson. Even Josephine's patience-of-steel had slowly dwindled down and exhaustion settled in, anxiety rapidly rising at the prospect of the Herald truly assassinated just because of stepping too far left or not properly holding her dance partner. "Where is Sera when you actually need her," Leliana muttered, "We need someone to tame this beast." Her eyes narrowed like a hawk when Ellana stiffened at the mention of the archer's name, "Is everything alright?"

"Y-Yeah..." Lavellan sheepishly scratched the back of her head and stole a glance at the area where the familiar smell radiated strongest: the balcony. Navigating in the dark wasn't particularly hard for her even without fire, she could easily see the lithe form cloaked in shadows. The question about who she'd choose still haunted her, and it dawned on her that she never gave Sera a proper answer either. Solas had assumed Ellana chose her clan without any hesitation, that it was natural. What was natural about that? She didn't feel that way. "You two look tired, let's try this again tomorrow?"

Varric chuckled, "They don't look like they want to try ever again. I think the best way for us to find the assassin is stick Phoenix in the room when she's pissed off. Whoever sees her angry-and is the guilty one planning to kill-will set off running at the sight of her I bet."

"At this point, that plan seems more viable than teaching the Game in less than a week," Josephine mumbled worriedly, and Ellana patted her shoulder reassuringly, beaming a warm smile down at her.

"Don't give up, let's try one more time tomorrow okay?"

"Funny how it's her saying that to you two, and I bet you thought it'd be the opposite," Varric laughed and waved his hand dismissively when the two women grumbled. "Alright well it's been fun, see you later Phoenix. Don't blow up shit without me."

"See you!" Lavellan walked the two advisors out and turned around, reluctantly making way up the steps and looking at the balcony, "You deserve an explanation."

"Oh I deserve it do I, your mighty Inquisitorialness? How kind of you." Sera casually rested her forearms along the railing, her bitter glare made the mage's skin crawl and break out in goose bumps. Ellana raked her hand through her tangled hair and winced as she smoothed out the knots.

"I understand why you may be angry, I think, but you're wrong." Wrong thing to say, Lavellan fumbled over her words and hastily corrected herself when the city elf's face contorted, "I mean- _Ir abelas_ -what you think is wrong. Ugh," she sighed frustratedly, "My answer, what you think my answer might be is-"

"It's alright, perfectly understandable yeah? All that shame of being seen with me must be like some sort of fucking worst sin or whatever. Don't want your elfy god to zap you with lightning and all."

"Creators," Ellana thoughtlessly corrected, "We've more than one god."

"Well good for you, I don't give a rat's ass."

"Look just calm down, I can explain okay?" _I wonder what she meant, obviously she's not giving me any rat asses. That would be weird even for her._

"Nothing to explain," Sera spat bitterly and jumped from the railing on to the bed, storming to the mage and stopping just inches away from her face. "I get it, yeah? Get that I was stupid for believing you were different, that you actually cared. What, not special enough then, that it?"

"I **always** cared," Lavellan was slowly losing control over her temper, the anger boiled at the archer's unwillingness to even let her explain. _Creators, this is stupid. It's not like the clan is going to come here anyways!_ "Still do and you are incredibly special to me, you are my best friend." The mage's nerves had become incredibly close to snapping, she had become fed up just at the idea of arguments now so she decided there was only one viable solution to stop the crisis from getting out of control.

Shut Sera up.

Ellana slid her hands to the back of the archer's neck and forcibly pulled her, pouring every ounce of emotion coursing through her veins as she roughly locked lips with Sera. All the guilt, anger, anxiety and concern, all of these mixed and created one thing both the elves shared in common: passion. A guttural moan involuntarily slipped passed Sera's lips and before she had realized what had happened, she reciprocated the kiss without hesitation. Then it struck her and her hands attempted to push the stubborn mage away by the shoulders, but Lavellan refused to budge. "If you won't listen to me," she wheezed as she quickly parted for much-needed air, "Then listen to this." Closing the distance she captures Sera's lips in a searing kiss and prevents her from backing away by clutching her waist. Her anger rapidly escalated the more the city elf struggled and refused, "Sera just **listen** to me dammit!"

"Can't fix this with just kisses, don't matter how fucking good," Sera seethed, "What, pick yer friggin' shite clan but use me for shits and giggles whenever you feel like it? Ain't how it works, I don't p-"

" **Sera**! Listen to me," Lavellan silenced the ranting archer with her mouth then pulled away, "If I had to choose between my clan or you," she firmly held Sera in her grip, "I'd choose you in a heartbeat. Without thought, without hesitation." As the city elf tensed and eyes widened, Ellana sighed frustratedly and rested her forehead against Sera's, "If we're going to fight can you train me while we're at it?" The pause dragged on seemingly forever, and the longer Sera took to respond the more nervous the mage felt, wondering if she had said the wrong thing again. As the archer's lips parted, Lavellan braced herself for the insults that was surely to come.

"Weirdo," Sera mumbled quietly and averted her gaze, hands dropping from the mage's shoulders to clutch her shirt and whispering affectionately, "You're an idiot." Ellana grins and tenderly brushes her lips against the archer's, whispering in the same hushed yet loving tone.

" **Your** idiot."

* * *

Refreshed and renewed, full of vigor and adrenaline, Lavellan sits up from the bed and stretches her arms. The benefits of having a surprisingly peaceful dream not plagued by worries or haunting memories was a great start to the day. She grinned when she looked beside her and whispered, "And this is the best start," she gently tucked Sera's hair behind her ear. The two hadn't realized they were exhausted last night and when the archer guided them to the bed for some purpose Ellana hadn't known at the time, the two instantly clocked out when they hit the soft pillows. The mage had even slept in clothes for once, and at this thought she decided to celebrate in one way.

Take off her shirt.

Firstly it was too tight and the collar threatened to suffocate her, secondly clothes just made her plain uncomfortable. She preferred the feel of air against her skin, free of restraints and fabric that made her feel itchy. However, as she unbuttoned and abandoned the long-sleeve shirt she looked at the sleeveless thin shirt underneath in utter despair. _I promised Josephine I'd wear this and keep it on all the time…_ She sighed and stole a peek at the stairway exit, _nobody but Sera will know, it's fine isn't it?_

 ** _You promised._**

 _I know I did! She couldn't have been serious about me wearing it_ _all_ _the time though, right? I have to bathe and stuff!_

 ** _Excuses._**

Lavellan grumbled and pouted at the harsh voice chastising her, _fine, have it your way._ She looked at Sera again and smiled, slowly lowering herself on her side so as not to wake the content archer. She held her head up in her palm, her other arm draped loosely along the sides of her ribs. _Atisha_ , her heart swelled at the sight and the slow rhythm of Sera's breathing, _always enjoy watching this. I wonder why?_ Her hand reached out on it's own accord and smoothed along the pale cheek, _something beckons to me,_ she mused on all sorts of possibilities before agreeing on one. _Vulnerable,_ she thought, _she trusts me to see this side of her._ At that she grinned with pride and lowered to press her lips against Sera's forehead, whispering quietly as she made contact with the soft skin, "'Ma vhenan'ara, 'ma da'assan..."

Urges to wake Sera up and kiss her senseless made her muscles itch and burn to move and do just that. She was torn by the indecision, she wanted that but she also wanted to continue watching the archer sleep peacefully. Unfortunately, her lingering and breathing on the city elf's forehead woke Sera up, and she groaned tiredly. She swatted away the nose touching her skin and rolled to her other side, mumbling incoherently. Something about the entire action made Ellana inwardly squeal with joy and only served to strengthen her urges, she now wanted to smother the archer with kisses and hold her tightly. "Wake up 'ma vhenan," she gently shook Sera's shoulder who shrugged off the hand in retaliation, "Come onnnnn wake up!"

Mischief danced in her eyes as her hand lowered to the archer's sides, fingers ghosting along before launching a merciless assault on the ribs. Sera immediately shot up, disoriented and dazed yet howling with involuntary glee as she was tickled. "S- _stop_ …!" She wheezed and tried to defend herself by deflecting the aggressive arms, "Ena!"

"I don't knoooooow~" Ellana sang, "You look like you're having lots of fun!"

"Not- _shithah_ -not fun! I'll shove-" Sera managed to grasp Ellana's wrists and swiftly pulled them outwards causing the mage to collapse on top of her, "An arrow up yer arse." Her head plopped back on the pillows yet she retained her firm grip on Lavellan's wrists, chest heaving heavily for sorely needed oxygen. "So damn hard to breathe, feels like I got a ton of-" Sera cut herself off and stiffened, then reluctantly looked down. Ellana's head tilted and she stared back, confused.

"Somphing wrawng?"

An involuntary gasp slipped past the archer's lips at the movement and rush of warm air seeping into her tunic, she roughly shoved Lavellan off, "Who the frig talks when they're on someone's tits?!"

"Uh, me I guess," _don't see what's wrong with that. Comfy too. Why is she acting this way?_ Ellana shrugged and crawled back to the city elf on all fours, grinning as she kissed her. "Anyways, good morning. Sleep well?"

"Just like that… You know usually talking on boobs is a big deal," Sera snickered, "Let me guess, it's not a problem?"

"I don't see one," Lavellan was growing more confused by the second, "Felt nice and comfy, like a pillow." An idea hit her and she sat up, bouncing on her knees with excitement as a childish grin spread from ear to ear, "Let me sleep on top of you tonight!"

" **HELL** **NO** **YOU DAFT TIT**!"


	16. Crumbling Walls

**Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!**

 **AN** **:** I know there were Halla statues used to open the doors at the Winter Palace, but to be honest I'm not really sure how that would work. Does the statue evaporate into magic and voila, door opens? Do we carry a sack and horde all of them around? So I decided they were regular doors with intricate locks and as Sera says, the best locks, the best loot.

* * *

 **Crumbling Walls**

* * *

"Rotate a bit more on your support leg, you want to pivot or have your knee face away from your enemy, alright now stand on the ball of your foot. Good," Bull crossed his arms and nitpicked every single detail, forcing the mage to hold her kicking leg in the air. "When you are kicking imagine your leg is dead weight like you're swinging a club, you're controlling everything with your hip. Keep your toes pointed, it'll help tense the muscles more and stop from hurting yourself. Take a quick rest then try again whenever you're ready." The qunari stepped to the side of the practice dummy to inspect the impact of the kick, he nodded to Ellana and watched as she launched her leg into the air and pivot on her supporting foot. The dummy shook slightly and the mage winced but remained focused on Bull's lesson, "That was alright, what you want to try is to lean your upper body away as you kick so you have more power." Bull had given up entirely on asking the mage about her legs, the wrappings had worn down and her shins were bruised. She was in clear pain when she struck against the dummy, but refused to stop training.

"Let's give your shins a break," before Lavellan could protest the qunari swiftly distracted her, "I'll show you a different kick that involves your heel instead, get into the tan guarde stance." Not too far away from their quiet isolated spot was Sera, leaning against the wall and watching protectively. She too had given up on the stubborn dalish woman, insisting that she stop abusing her legs got them nowhere. Ellana rose her arms, fists at nose-level and her left leg slightly flexed as she balanced on the ball of her foot. "When you pivot and kick out, your goal is to strike with your heel either at the enemy's jaw or ribs. Try it on me," Bull stood calmly and waited for the kick, swiftly trapping the right leg before it could do any damage. "When you're trapped like this, put all your support on your stance leg and throw out your elbow-"

"What if I can't reach?" Lavellan huffed, breathing heavily from exertion from non-stop kicking for the entire hour, "Could I do this instead?" The mage jumped up and balanced on Bull's thigh, getting into range and throwing her elbow at the qunari's chin. When he released her and she hit the ground, she swiftly hops back up and clinches Bull's neck, driving her knee into his chest. Her legs gave out on her as soon as she touched dirt once more, her fatigued muscles absolutely refused to do anything more. The qunari's booming laughter rang out and offered his hand to help Ellana up while wiping his chin with his free hand.

"You're picking up on this shit real fast Boss, and it's good that you're figuring things out by yourself. Good escape and elbow strike, but the knee one works best if your enemy is charging at you. More momentum," he helped the exhausted mage up and grinned, "Won't be long before we can spar. Might wanna go to the healers to take a look at your legs so you won't collapse." A mischievous glint flashed in his eyes and his grin grew, "Especially since you're dancing again tonight."

"Mnng," Lavellan grumbled, "This is more fun. Why don't shems do this instead?"

"Daft tit," Sera chuckled softly, "Poncy farts don't beat the shit out of each other. They got their grunts to do the dirty work for 'em."

"Dunno if this'll help Boss but, why don't you treat dancing the same way you treat fighting? Both styles need rhythm, technique, watching your opponent and-"

"Don't tell her that her partner's the fucking enemy you idiot!" It was too late, the damage had already been done and Ellana's eyes lit up with the same fire she gets when fighting. She nodded eagerly and slammed her fist in her palm, lopsided grin in place.

"Alright! Why didn't I think of that? Thanks Bull! Let's train again tomorrow morning!" Lavellan hobbled off in the direction of the healer tent and Sera groaned, her face buried in her palm.

"Just for the record, I never fucking witnessed this. I don't want Red striping me up just because Weirdo decided to kick her in the fucking face."

"In that case," Bull grinned mischievously, "Maybe you should be her partner instead?" He used his fingers to quote, "'Fight' all night long."

"Screw you," Sera scoffed but smirked anyways.

"That'll be you. Remember to buy me a bottle for helping you out."

"In your dreams, ye daft tit. Anyways better go see if flame-brain actually went to go get checked out. Later."

* * *

When Sera approached the healer inspecting Ellana's legs, she didn't know how to react. A torrent of emotions swirled within her, her concern morphed into anger and her awe at the mage's dedication turned into mentally chastising her for taking things too far. "Inquisitor," the healer looked up with worry, "Your muscles will need some rest after treatment, you must take it easy for the day."

"I can't, I have to dance later," Lavellan smoothed her palms over her bruised shins and cringed at the pain, "What if I applied poultice every hour? I've got some reserves in my quarters."

"That will certainly speed up the healing process by a lot yes," the soft green glow emanated from the healer's hands and Sera averted her gaze, her stomach churned at the sight. "I also recommend having someone help you for the day to take off the pressure, anything that requires putting weight on your legs should be avoided." At that, Sera inwardly groaned, _great I gotta be her friggin' babysitter again._

"I'll be fine, ma serannas," Ellana took her time standing and wobbled past the concerned healer then smiled warmly at Sera, _here we go, she's gonna ask me to be her slave._ "Wanna hang out? I've something I want to do for you." _She's… Wait, that's what she asks?_ The archer nodded mindlessly and trailed behind Lavellan, _isn't she gonna ask for help?_ Folding her hands behind her head, the mage casually walks across the courtyard and up the steps, _she don't even look like she's in pain, don't that shit hurt a lot?_ Curiosity took Sera and she walked beside the dalish woman, watching her from the corner of her eye, _this fucking idiot…_ Ellana hid her grimaces but sweat steadily trickled down her forehead and her eyes clearly conveyed pain, the closer Sera got to her the easier it had been to notice the gradually rising heat. She inched closer and whispered, taking steps ahead of the mage and opening the doors in a nonchalant manner so that curious onlookers didn't suspect a thing.

"Why are you pretending you friggin' idiot? Why won't you just ask for help?"

"It's not a problem."

"It is a problem!" Sera hissed, and when they cleared the first door the mage's condition had become more evident now that they were away from prying eyes. The stairs was the greatest obstacle at the moment and Sera sighed frustratedly, "Get on my back, I'll carry your arse up."

"No. I can do this myself," Lavellan looked down as she rose her foot, making sure that she was indeed going up the step. Sera grasped her wrist and winced when she could feel the mage's forearm muscles tense as hard as metal, she noted the way Ellana's free hand moved as if by reflex before it relaxed.

"Didn't you listen to the guy? You need to rest! Get on my fucking back before you blow up yer friggin' legs too." _She was gonna hit me huh? Every day all day nothing but fighting, this tit's gonna accidentally kill someone if she don't watch it._ The two exchanged silent glares, neither backing down for a while until Sera was the first to cave in. "Fine but if you fall-"

"I won't." _So fucking cocky, always says this shit and the opposite happens._

"If ya do, I ain't catching you. Maybe a bump on yer head's whatcha need to knock some friggin' sense into you. Always gotta learn the hard way," Sera went ahead up the stairs and turned around, crossing her arms and gritting her teeth in frustration as she watched the mage struggle to walk up. _Why won't you ask for help? If I'm forced to babysit you might as well use me._ The archer sighed reluctantly and made it up the last set of stairs, holding the door to the quarters open for Lavellan, _who forced me anyways? Can't remember now, was probly Red. Ah well it doesn't matter._ Surprisingly, Ellana had made it up into her quarters without incident and limped towards the broken plank. " **No** ," _is she fucking serious? I swear._ Sera crossed her arms and stared sternly when the mage looked back, lips parting and sealing as if contemplating to protest. "Get yer arse on the bed. **Now**." Her patience was rapidly dwindling when the dalish women instead hobbled to her desk, "Do you fucking listen to anyone or what?"

"I'm getting the poultice," Lavellan replied tiredly, "Can we not do this right now? I've no energy to argue."

"I'm right here ye daft tit, you can ask me to get it for-"

"No. I can do this by myself and I won't treat you that way." _What way?_ Sera quietly watched as the mage slowly made way to her bed and plopped down then pulled off the knee-length breeches. _Oh my fucking… What the hell has she been doing!?_ There weren't bruises on the shins only, but on the knees and thighs as well. Afterward Lavellan worked on unwrapping the hemp rope tied around her hands and the archer found herself curious as to how it worked in the first place. Ellana applied the poultice on her legs and didn't hide the grimaces this time, hissing under her breath when she smoothed over a particularly sensitive area.

"Hey," Sera walked over and picked up the rope to inspect it, "What's the rope for anyways?" _Sturdy, good for tying,_ she shook the mental images of the elven woman tied up and at her complete mercy out of her mind, _shit where the hell is this crap coming from?_

"Bull said- _tsh_ -that it's better traction for clinches and it helps with strikes and blocks. Abrasive so it cuts better too."

"Riiiiight," the archer mumbled and nodded, _I'll just pretend I get it._ "What if you burn it by accident?"

"Learned to keep my temper in check while I'm training, it actually helps clear my mind too. Pretty nice feeling," Ellana winced as she applied more poultice and worked her way up, "Plus it was hard to get that rope. I'm not about to burn it now." Sera eyed the arm band and the mage grinned proudly when she noticed, "That's for good luck and protection."

"Huh? That ain't doing shit to protect you."

"It's… A spiritual thing, not actual armor," Lavellan replied hesitantly and averted her gaze, knowing anything 'spiritual' or remotely 'elfy' did not sit well with the archer. Sera shrugged it off and bit back a sigh then derailed the topic before tension rose.

"Gimme a bit of that stuff, I'll work on your other leg," Sera's stern warning look immediately stopped the mage's protests before it even began, and Ellana reluctantly passed the small bowl over. The archer dipped her fingers inside and gently applied it to the worst looking spots, skillfully working through without instigating more pain than need be.

"How do you do that?" Lavellan stared in awe, "When you do it, it hardly hurts."

"Lotsa practice with this shit," Sera replied deftly without breaking focus, "Live on your own, work on your own with nothing but clothes on your back and you pick up all sorts of tricks to stay alive." She muttered bitterly, "Not everyone's got someone to take care of 'em."

"Won't be alone anymore," Ellana reached over and clasped the archer's hand to stop her momentarily. Sera looked up and gazed into the smoldering coal eyes shining with determination and resolve, "I'll take care of you now."

"Heh," Sera shifted her gaze and ignored the warmth throbbing at her ears, "Weirdo, ain't doing a good job at that if I'm the one taking care of you." _Surprised you're letting me help for once too._

"After this, it's my turn," the archer stiffed and hesitantly looked up, the pits of her stomach twisted and buzzed pleasantly at the clouded eyes peering back at her. _Shit that look again…_ "Did say I had something I wanted to do for you, remember?"

"Like what?" Sera's eyes glazed over the deep purple bruise on the knee, _daft tit never gave it a rest, does she_ _want_ _to break her bones?_ She pressed her thumbs in and worked the poultice around the edges of the knee cap and then smoothed over, one hand gently holding down at the thigh to prevent Ellana from moving too much.

"Something I wanted to try before but you..." Lavellan trailed off and looked away, "You'll like it, I hope. I don't have any experience but I want to try anyways." _Wait._

 _WHAT?!_

"Ow! You're pressing in too much Sera!" _Fuck even that sounds wrong!_ At that the archer lifted her hands and mumbled a quiet apology while her mind reeled at what Ellana said. _Does she actually fucking know then? Like kissing?! Holy shit,_ images of the mage naked flashed within her mind's eye and Sera desperately tried to ignore them, along with the ache now settled in between her thighs. _All I gotta do is think of her naked and I-_ she gritted her teeth, _there's no way she means that._ Yet she couldn't help but hope nonetheless. When the two were finished with the poultice Lavellan placed the bowl on the night table and shifted across the bed, patting the open space beside her, "Shirt off." _Wait so she does know?!_

Reluctantly trying to keep the overbearing hope squashed to protect from the inevitable disappointment, Sera complied and tugged on the shirt laces to loosen it up then pulled it off. "On your stomach," _huh? Weird position to start with, she shy or something?_ _Wait,_ once she settled on her stomach, the shock wore off and realization came crashing down, _she doesn't get what this shite means, can't-_

"Fuck..." Warm hands splayed along her shoulders and thumbs massaged firm circles, Sera worriedly looked back when the mage uttered a low curse as she settled on her knees. "Get off the friggin' knees ye daft tit or you'll hurt 'em more."

"It's not a problem. Does this feel good?"

"It is a- _shit yes..._ " Something bumped the sides of her hips and Sera looked behind her again, the ache between her thighs intensified when she saw the mage straddle the small of her back as if it was the most natural thing in the world. _Is she for fucking real?!_ She noticed how Ellana tilted her head and looked behind her, _the hell is she staring at?_ She followed where the coal eyes gazed and grinned mischievously, _naughty, naughty, yer growin' up slowly Ena…_ The dalish woman had been looking at Sera's rear-end with a thoughtful expression, as if pondering over a decision. _She just gonna stare all day or do something?_

"Can I sit on your bum?"

" **W-** " Sera propped herself up on her elbows and rotated her upper torso as far as she could, " **WHAT**?! Hell no!" _What the fuck is with that outta the blue question!_ _That's_ _what she was thinking so hard about?!_

"Aw come on! My knees hurt but I still wanna massage."

"You'll break my ass with how heavy you are!"

"I can break that?" Lavellan curiously poked the side of the archer's butt cheek and Sera groaned, face slamming into the pillows and muffling her curses, _fuck sake what the hell are you trying to do to me?_ "You'll be safe, it's very cushion-y so it shouldn't break."

Sera's head shot up and she turned her torso again, "Are you calling me fat?!" Not that she actually cared, but with her boiling temper anything set her off like an antivan grenade at this point, "That's it, off! Get off you damn weirdo!"

"I said cushion-y not fat, and you say I don't listen," Ellana grumbled. She ignored the archer's request and gently plopped down on the not-fat-bum, kicking out her legs to ease the pressure off her knees and sighing in content. Leaning forward, she casually resumed her ministrations and placed her hands on Sera's shoulders again.

"Because you don't just like right now you mother of- **UGH**!" Sera huffed and muffled curses into the pillow again, both in frustration and pleasure when the warm hands knead out the muscles. As the fingers ghosted along and worked towards her neck, the ache had become unbearable and a strong current of electricity thrummed along her nerves. _This needs to stop soon or I'll pounce on her,_ an involuntary moan slipped past her lips when she felt warmth seep directly into her neck and relaxed, _this feels_ _too_ _fucking good…_

"Do you like this?" A hint of nervousness was in Ellana's voice despite the confident hands, _she doesn't see what the hell this is doing to me? Or hear?_ She nodded and buried her face deeper in the pillow, arms folded beneath and clutching it as she fought to repress the overpowering urges. "I'm glad," _sound relieved too. It matter that much to you if I like this shite or not?_ Sera chewed on the corner of her lip when the hands trailed lower and worked between her shoulder blades, "Got a lot of knots," the mage mumbled worriedly. _Yeah all up in my friggin' stomach! Fuck if this keeps up I really will lose it and jump on this clueless tit._ "I feel weird," Lavellan blurted out, and her hands slowed to a halt.

"Coz yer a weirdo what didjya expect?" Sera struggled to sooth the bonfire between her thighs and rubbed her legs together, quietly groaning into the pillow when the friction backfired on her and instead sent sparks traveling along her spine.

"No I mean, well I don't know. You smell weird too, familiar though. Same smell as before..." Lavellan leaned forward and tentatively inhaled, the archer's sanity was threatening to crumble when she felt warm puffs of air hit her back. "Don't know where it's coming from though, but it always makes me feel even more weird. What is that?"

"Fuck if I know," Sera seethed between clenched teeth, "Ena I need you to get off of me right now," _or I'll rip off your clothes and fuck you whether you get it or not._ _Ain't no way I'm explaining this shit when I'm 'bout to crack and lose it._ As soon as the mage reluctantly climbed off, Sera grabbed her shirt and hastily pulled it on, "Need fresh air, gimme a minute." She missed the concerned eyes watching her and briskly walked to the balcony, hands tightly gripping the railing as she inhaled deeply in an attempt to calm down. _I won't be like_ _her_ _, won't take advantage, can't. Not right,_ the ache refused to go away and Sera sighed frustratedly, _why did I havta fall for such a clueless fucking twat?_ Firm arms circled around her waist and she stiffened when she felt warm lips press into the back of her neck, _doesn't she get what this is fucking doing to me?!_ "Ena-"

"I'm sorry," Ellana mumbled guiltily, "I didn't mean to upset you." _What?_ "Just wanted to make you feel good and show you I care for you too. I appreciate you always taking care of me." Sera bit back the urge to sigh and mentally kicked herself, _shit she's got it all wrong again._ She tried to turn in the mage's embrace but Lavellan tightened her hold and pressed her lips against the junction where neck and shoulder met. "I'm sorry," the voice wavered and Sera slackened in the hold.

 ** _I'd choose you in a heartbeat. Without thought, without hesitation._**

"I ain't mad ye daft tit," the archer chided affectionately, "You did nothin' wrong so quit pouting like a baby. It's all good." Light knocks brought their attention to the entrance of the quarters and Sera inwardly groaned, _worst time to interrupt, jerks._

 ** _I always cared._**

"Be right there!" Ellana called out and reluctantly released her hold then leaned forward to give a brief peck on Sera's cheek, "Thanks for cheering me up, I appreciate it. Appreciate you." She plopped over to answer the door and the city elf was once again lost in her thoughts, hand absent-mindlessly rubbing the warm spot on her cheek. _Always say this shit so easily,_ her lips curled into a soft smile, _how am I not supposed to care for a weirdo like you?_ Warmth coursed through her body but she couldn't help the disappointment gnawing at the edges of her thoughts when yesterday's spat replayed in her mind.

 ** _Still do and you are incredibly special to me, you are my best friend._**

 _Friends with benefits then? Can't be just a buddy anymore..._

Sera was snapped out of her reverie when she heard Ambassador Montilyet protest at the mage's lack of breeches and her bruised legs, to which Ellana reassured her with "It's not a problem," and raced back up the steps to grab her pants. "Are we training at the table or on the floor today?" The archer snickered when she could hear both advisors groan simultaneously.

" **Floor**."

"It's impossible to teach you etiquette in such a short amount of time," Leliana continued, "So before we leave for the ball make sure you eat all you can here so you won't be hungry at the palace." The Spymaster walked up the steps and her eyes fell on Sera, a moment of confusion flashed across her features before she brushed it off and walked towards the drum resting near the fireplace.

"Ah Sera," Josephine smiled politely and her tone held a hint of pleading, "Will you be helping the Inquisitor dance?"

"Hah! Hell no," Sera smirked, "Just watching. Besides I can't dance worth to save my life."

"I can't either," Ellana remarked, "What if they teach the both of us? We can be partners. Plus that'll give Josephine a break from me stepping on her toes."

"And stepping on my toes is better?!" Sera frowned at the childish grin on the mage's face and her carefree laughter that bounced off the chamber walls, it didn't help when the two advisors quietly snickered behind the palms covering their mouths. _I can still hear you arseholes, this ain't funny!_

"It's settled then," Leliana's accent was laced with amusement, "Sera will be the Inquisitor's partner for the night." _That sounds friggin' wrong too! Get yer mind out the gutter dammit..._

"What the hell Red? Don't just volunteer people for the chopping block."

"I'm not volunteering you Sera," the Spymaster's lips curled into a subtle smile, "I'm voluntelling you."

"Ugh… Fine..." Watching the mage bounce with glee and excitement made Sera wonder if it was really worth the impending doom. _I guess it's not_ _so_ _bad if she's happy,_ she looked sadly at her toes, _I guess this is goodbye, it's been nice knowing you fellas._

"It won't be so bad," Josephine said as if sensing the archer's conflicted thoughts, "They'll be numb after a couple steps."

"Thanks Ruffles, that makes me feel so much better."

* * *

After an hour of nonstop dancing, or rather attempts to dance, the advisors decided to rescue Sera and call for a break. "You were right," Sera grumbled, "I can't feel my friggin' toes anymore." _All Bull's fault for tellin' her to treat this like fighting. Fuckin' jerk._ She sat on the bed and leaned back on her elbows, exhaling tiredly when the mage protested against the break and  still bounced around with vigorous energy. "Calm yer tits down not all of us have fire breathing out our asses." Ellana merely grinned and walked over, sprawling on her back beside the archer and moaning in content when she stretched her limbs along the bed. Sera's eyes subconsciously trailed down and gaped at the mage's toned stomach when her shirt rode up a little, and immediately the images of Lavellan naked flooded her mind once again. _Fuck sake,_ she forced herself to look at the ceiling instead, _what the hell am I gonna do when this clueless twat actually strips again?_ _Got used to it and now I ain't sure what the hell will happen. Nothing's changed, so why's it harder now?_

"How are your legs Inquisitor?" Josephine relaxed on the couch beside the Spymaster and smiled when the mage popped back up, still full of adrenaline.

"Great! But thanks for reminding me I forgot about the poultice," Ellana flopped to her stomach and crawled across the bed then reached for the bowl and used her magic to heat it up. She rolled on her back and sat up then began to apply the poultice, hissing quietly and fighting to keep her expression neutral so as not to worry the advisors. Sera tilted her head back and watched upside-down then groaned inwardly, _why's she always worried 'bout others seeing her in pain? Pretty sure Red and Ruffles understand that having purple legs is bound to sting like a bitch._ After Lavellan finished she set the bowl aside and scooted behind the archer, _the heck is she doing?_ "Sit up, your shoulders are tense," the dalish woman wiggled her fingers and Sera sighed then looked back up at the ceiling.

"Don't need it, I'm fine."

"And you say I'm stubborn."

"Coz you are."

"Anyways," Ellana grinned when the city elf rolled her eyes, "Sit up."

" **No**."

"Yes."

" **No**."

"No."

" **Yes**. Wait, fuck!" Sera grumbled when the mage bellowed out and then wiggled her fingers again, "Doesn't count when you play dirty."

"Win's a win," Lavellan smirked in triumph, "Besides, it's fun playing dirty with you." The two elves had been completely oblivious to the advisors watching them with their mouths slightly open, shocked at the Inquisitor's bold words. Leliana smiled coyly and Josephine's face was beet-red, she stood abruptly and bowed.

"E-Excuse me I f-forgot to… Oversee a delicate matter and sign some documents so I'll take my leave now. Good night Inquisitor!" With that the Ambassador hastily scurried away and left the two elves confused, Sera glanced at the Spymaster who merely shrugged and continued to smile. _The heck was that all about? Wasn't Ruffles worried 'bout this twat learning how to dance?_ Then realization smacked her hard across the face.

 ** _Besides, it's fun playing dirty with you._**

 _Fuck. My. Life._ "She didn't mean it  that way Ruffles!" Sera huffed exasperatedly and groaned when she glanced at the mage who now looked confused at her, "Don't ask. Just… Don't."

"Alright," Ellana slid to the edge of the bed and stood up, raising her arms above her head and letting out little content grunts as she stretched her limbs. "I'm getting pretty hungry, do you want me to bring anything for you ma falon?"

"Huh?" Sera was snapped out of her reverie from watching the elven woman stretch then waved her hand dismissively, "Nah I'm alright. Try not to eat everybody else's food again." Lavellan grinned childishly and nodded, but before she left the quarters Leliana stopped her.

"Just out of curiosity Inquisitor, what does ma falon mean?"

"Oh, my friend," Ellana's eyes brightened up and she smiled with pride, "Sera's my best friend and-" her stomach growled loudly and the mage pouted as she patted her protesting belly, "Gotta go grab something before I starve. Are we still dancing after, Sister Nightingale?"

"Yes, try not to eat too much lest you feel unwell from the movement," Leliana watched the dejected archer from the corner of her eye, and nodded when Lavellan announced her leave. As soon as the doors clicked shut, awkward silence fell upon the two remaining women. "You know," the Spymaster spoke softly, "It's not necessarily a bad thing that she refers to you as her best friend."

"What would you know," Sera grumbled thoughtlessly then sighed and leaned back on her elbows again, staring at the ceiling. "Feel sorry for her sometimes, she's never gonna get anything even if it smacked her on the lips. Literally."

"Reminds me of the Hero of Fereldan," Leliana smiled fondly at the distant memory, "Subtlety was lost on her much like the Inquisitor. But…" _Oh right, Red and the Warden had a thing didn't they?_ Sera looked up, interest peaked. _And the hero was an elfy elf too I think... Right?_

"How'd ya get it through her thick head?"

"I didn't."

"Greaaaat," Sera drawled sarcastically and sighed irritatedly, she leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees, missing the smile on the Spymaster's face.

"It wasn't so much as getting it through her head as it was mine."

"What?" _Pretty sure the daft tit's got the thick head, not me._

"Just because the Inquisitor doesn't have the right label, doesn't mean she doesn't have the right feelings," Leliana rose from the couch and turned for the stairs. _The heck's that mean?_

"Wait, where you going? Aren't we practicing when Ena comes back?"

"Tomorrow, I'm feeling a little… Tired," _look a little sad too. Guess she misses the hero._ "There's one advice that may help you," Leliana's hand rested on the railing and she smiled with warmth that the archer had honestly been frightened of, _never saw her look that way. Kinda scary that it's coming from her._ "Love is friendship on fire. Have a good night, Sera. If you don't mind please make sure the Inquisitor doesn't hurt her legs again."

"Yeah sure, night..." Sera sprawled casually on the bed and pondered on the Spymaster's words, _she mean to say Ena feels the same way I do then?_ Her ears throbbed lightly at the warmth that settled in, _friendship on fire? Ena'll like that just coz it's got fire._ Her lips curled in an affectionate smile, "Love huh?" Oddly enough, Sera found comfort in the idea.

* * *

As days passed by and the ball neared, the advisors became increasingly confident when Ellana had surprisingly gotten the hang of the dance. Though Sera had given up, Lavellan had been successful in leading both advisors which was no small feat considering they could perform the dance in their sleep. The only obstacle now was to divert the mage's attention from the drum and lute, it seemed that any instrument in Ellana's vicinity had to be touched and played to sate her curiosity. Josephine and Leliana shared worried glances when the Inquisitor drummed freely and settled into her own rhythm, it was known without saying that everybody had prayed the curious elf would remain focused on the mission when they were at the palace.

Everything had been taken care of, from their uniforms to securing carriages to take whomever was coming to the ball. Leliana had introduced Ellana to a female mage, one whom the elven woman recognized from the unfortunate future she witnessed in Redcliffe. After remembering that Lavellan completely forgot about the salon to meet the woman personally, she apologized sheepishly and guiltily bowed her head. After hearing about what happened in Haven, the Orlesian mage extended an offer to join the Inquisition to the Ambassador instead, to which Josephine graciously accepted. All that was left now was to decide who the Inquisitor would take in a small team and to prepare to leave for the next morning.

"Madame de Fer will be a valuable companion to bring along and is an established player in The Game. She'll have good advice for you no doubt," Leliana debriefed the dalish mage privately in the war room, "Iron Bull will also be helpful in terms of seeing things through the eyes of a Ben'Hassrath." The Spymaster splayed her hands along the map and hesitantly glanced at Ellana, pondering whether she should even ask her rhetorical question or not. "Is there anyone else who will personally accompany you?"

"Sera." The answer was matter of fact and left no room for argument, this is what Leliana had dreaded. Though the archer was clearly attached to the Inquisitor, personal feelings in a delicate mission such as this could upset the balance of Thedas. Subtlety was the weakest point for both elves, and though the Red Jenny's inside connections would no doubt prove invaluable well… Was it really worth the risk? The Spymaster's eyebrows furrowed in concern and Lavellan tilted her head, confused. "Is something the matter?"

"No, just… Thinking. Not sure how this will turn out," Leliana looked up and gazed at the confident coal eyes, "This is a really important mission, Inquisitor. Is it wise to bring Sera with you?"

"It's not a problem," Ellana smiled reassuringly, "There's no one else I'd rather have watching my back. Also I've been meaning to ask if you have anything on my clan. Are they safe?"

"Ah yes, my operatives confused the enemy and the clan is now in a more defensible area. My scouts are also investigating a couple leads, I've suspicions that something more was going on. I'll have more details when we return from the ball." Leliana couldn't help but concede to the mage's decision about bringing Sera along and pushed off from the table, "In that case I'll inform Josie about the three that will stay with you, everybody else will keep an eye out and cause a distraction if necessary. I'll take my leave and begin preparing, I'll see you tomorrow morning. Good day, Inquisitor," she bowed politely and left the room, leaving Ellana to her own devices in the war room.

To be perfectly honest, she hadn't known whether she was excited for the event or not. It took a while to convince Sera to actually come to the ball at all, and the archer had been upset since the discussion. The nonstop insults and snide comments about nobles was beginning to wear down Lavellan's patience, _they can't_ _all_ _be that bad right? Besides, she's the same with dalish and now she knows not all of us are bad too._ She gazed distantly at the mountains outside the windows and sighed, _now I'll have to convince her to stay by my side when we're there, this won't be easy._ Clicking her tongue and spinning on her heel, the mage steels her patience for the worst and makes way for the tavern. _Creators ma halani._

* * *

"You're joking." Lavellan looked pleadingly at the disgruntled archer, "Piss. You're not joking."

"Sera please, there's-"

"Gimme one good friggin' reason. Here I thought I could just sneak into the cellar and raid all their shite, now yer askin' me to follow you 'round to be all fake smiles at fancy arseholes who deserve an arrow for a tea. **Hell**. **No**."

"What if I do whatever you want?"

"This again? Gonna have to do better than that." Sera kicked out her legs on her table, her room was a completely disorganized mess with things tossed around haphazardly. She nervously eyed a particular object on her shelf yet this was seemingly lost on the dalish woman. _I'm fucked if she finds out 'bout that._

Ellana closed her eyes and mused on different possibilities, she had no idea what the archer could want. "What if I give anything you want?" At this Sera tilted her head and watched the mage thoughtfully before her lips spread in a mischievous grin. Swinging her legs off the table and standing up, she brushed past the mage and closed the door. _This'll be good._

"Right now?"

"Sure, why not? If I can then I will," Lavellan instincts screamed at her at the way the city elf circled her, something about her eyes beckoned to the mage to reach out and touch, to take action. "You're my best friend Sera," she missed how the archer's shoulders slumped and temple twitched, "You know I'll always do or give whatever you'd like." _She's got some fucking nerve!_ Ellana grunted when she was slammed against the door, surprised to see Sera's face inches away. Something about the fire in the razor sharp slits had ignited her nerves and made her stomach buzz with a torrent of familiar yet unknown emotions.

Leaning closer Sera snarled, "Not just best friends, more. We're more than best friends now that we've kissed Ena, understand?" Frustration welled up in the archer when Lavellan looked at her cluelessly, _she doesn't get it, she doesn't fuckin' get it and I need her to so badly so she can stop torturing me like this._

"I don't understand," Lavellan choked out, and her hands slid up then held Sera by the hips, "Why are you upset?"

 _Of course she doesn't understand! Fuck!_ "For the love of...! Idiot, it's coz-"

"Isn't it alright if we're more than best friends?"

Sera froze, _did I just hear that right?_ Ellana looked at her concerned and confused, "So you're okay with...?"

"With us being more? If that's the case then aren't we already?" Lavellan grinned and held tighter, "Always want to learn from you, do more with you and share everything I have." She pulled the archer closer for a brief, passionate kiss then parted, "I told you, you're special to me. I didn't know there was something more than a best friend, but that's what you are to me. There's no one else I'd rather have as a bond-mate to stand beside me through the best and the worst." _That mate thing again, gotta ask sometime what it is._

 ** _Weirdo. You're an idiot._**

Sera's ears throbbed with warmth and she averted her gaze, _well shit, now I feel stupid. Looks like Red was right…_ "Give me a chance to prove it, you wanted me to give you something right now. What would you like me to do?" Sera's lips curled into an affection smile that the mage had been unaccustomed to seeing. _Friendship on fire huh?_

 ** _Your_** ** _idiot._**

"Don't worry luv, I'll come along. I already got what I want," she grinned at Lavellan's lost look.

 _You._

* * *

The Winter Palace was everything Sera had ever dreamed of.

A fucking **nightmare**.

 _Why did I agree to stick with this clueless tit? Keeps asking me what to say or do instead of Lady Shits-Out-Gold or the Iron Bullshit._ Sera glared at the nobles without restraint and her fingers itched, she desperately missed the tension of a string and the feel of her bow right now. _Didn't hide 'nough arrows to stick up arses,_ her patience rapidly dwindled and was cut into a tinier piece with each question Ellana asked. "No, I don't know what the fuck that is," Sera seethed quietly, "Quit touching shit, let's get this crap done and over with already. Here to save the pretty butt on the throne remember?"

"Oh, right I forgot." _SHE FUCKING FORGOT!?_ Before her temper got the best of her, Lavellan had beamed her radiant grin and it calmed the archer down, her heart swelled with warmth at the familiar sight, _ugh. She's lucky I like her._ When they made it inside the palace everyone had split up yet the archer remained close and watched Ellana from the shadows. _One wrong move, and shit'll explode all over the walls._ She smiled proudly when nobles had looked at the mage, shocked gasps and comments about the dalish 'intruder' filled the room. _And she still doesn't even give a flying fuck,_ she snickered quietly when Lavellan immediately made way to a tray of snacks and stuffed her mouth to the point her cheeks puffed out like a nug. Several nobles who had watched the mage like a hawk had covered their mouth, eyes widening in utter horror behind their masks. _This is bloody priceless, it's so like her to do this. Guess I ought to go save her before Ruffles sees this and shites out another breach._ Sera wove through the shadows and smirked when the mage had turned around with an eager grin, her cheeks still puffed and moving up and down as she hastily chewed. "Mmf-hmpf mm?"

"Uh, yeah sure. Whatever the heck that means. Come on luv let's go inside before Ruffles catches you like this. Weren't supposed to eat remember?"

With one large gulp and a content sigh as she patted her belly, Ellana nodded appreciatively, "Couldn't help it, lots of things smell good in here." Her nose tilted upwards and she sniffed, her eyes clouded slightly when she gazed back at Sera, _shit, know that look now._ "You smell really good too. Different. Why?"

"S-shut up and let's go already," heat threatened to erupt from the base of the archer's neck and she grasped Lavellan's wrist, pulling her into the ballroom and ignoring the rude whispers. _Can't believe she actually fucking noticed, guess she's starting to get it._ After she dragged Ellana inside she shoved her towards the Spymaster and disappeared again in the shadows, watching the mage protectively and keeping her ears peeled for anything that might help catch the assassin. _Faster we get this shite figured out, faster I can get out this stuffy ass uniform._ Her eyes glazed over Lavellan and her lips curled into a predator-like grin, _can't wait to get her out the uniform either… Bet she hates wearing that many layers. Too bad, looks good on her too._ As she watched the Inquisitor and advisors move across the ballroom floor towards the Empress, she snickered when she heard her own introduction and paid acute attention to the Ambassador. _Hah, the look on her face is priceless!_ She blanched when she noticed the Spymaster's glare that radiated killing intent, _oh shite. Knows I'm hiding here too, I'm fucked if I don't get outta here after._

"How vulgar, the Inquisition is made up of nothing but scoundrels and dirty elves," one of the nobles whispered nearby and Sera silently glared at him, _piss off bitchballs, don't care what you think._ "And did you see that other elf that pulled her in here? Savages, the both of them. They should just stay where they belong, trash like the rest of the knife-ears defiling this beautiful palace." The archer clenched her fists and focused on her breathing to remain calm, she knew better than to jeopardize this particular mission. _Maybe we should just let Coryphy-shit kill off all these fuckers, one less scumbag for me to deal with._ She gritted her teeth in frustration when more nobles whispered and made snide comments about Ellana, _shut the hell up, only I can call my idiot a weirdo, arseholes…_ Sera stiffened as realization dawned on her, _what's gonna happen when Ena hears these pricks talking shit about us?_ Images of the palace razed by flames and craters decorating the marble floor flashed within her mind's eye and the archer inwardly groaned, _would love to watch these fuckers blown to the sky but then everybody's screwed if she explodes._

After Lavellan finished speaking with the Empress-and surprisingly not messed things up too much-Sera lingered in the shadows and trailed as the mage followed Leliana out of the ballroom. She cringed at the heated glare from the Spymaster, _shit, when all this is done I'm gonna need to make a break for it if I wanna live._ She waited in the shadows and kept her eyes peeled for anything suspicious while Leliana warned Ellana about the Empress's occult advisor, she relaxed as soon as the Spymaster disappeared back into the ballroom. "How long are you going to stand there?" Lavellan looked in Sera's direction, _oh right she can still smell and see me._ The archer shrugged and strode towards her, "Want to come with me?"

"Chance to break in and empty out poncyfart pockets? Hell yeah," she was confused when the mage glared at her, _the heck's her problem?_

"We're not here to steal Sera. We're not thieves." _You aren't, I am._

"Who said stealing? I'm taking back. Big beautiful difference."

" **Sera** ," both women held their ground and refused to budge but then Ellana reluctantly caved in, "We can't afford to be at each other's throats here. Let's just go see what we can find out now that we've got a couple leads to work with." _Ugh,_ Sera trailed behind and noted the tense shoulders, _still mad. Guess I'll just take when she's not looking or something…_

"By the way," Sera muttered lowly so only Lavellan would be able to hear her, "Friends stashed some stuff, keep an eye out for that too yeah?"

"Stolen 'stuff'?"

"Want help or not? Free stuff's good don't matter where it comes from."

"Sure," Ellana looked behind her and smirked sarcastically at Sera, "Whatever you say." _Fine if she wants to be a stubborn arsehole then whatever. Better not bitch and whine later._

"Switched fast, almost like you're pretending it's alright."

"Well when people care about each other they always find a way to make things work. No matter how hard it is." That shut the archer up immediately and she averted her gaze, Lavellan shrugged and continued forth down the hall. _She never takes the easy way, always does what's right._ Sera grinned when the mage directly confronted the elven servants who told her 'where to go', she couldn't help but snicker quietly at the way Ellana's shoulders slumped dejectedly. _What part of being sneaky don't ya get, weirdo?_ She caught up with the elven woman and patted her shoulder reassuringly, offering a smug smile and silently mouthing 'watch how it's done'. Approaching the elven servants, she felt right at home with them and managed to squeeze out all sorts of valuable information regarding Briala's operations. Turning around, her grin grew when Lavellan gaped at her with her mouth hung slightly open. Sera mouthed 'and that's how it's done' while giving a thumbs up, she gestured with her head down the hall and nodded as she followed the mage's lead once again.

After asking Bull for any updates and receiving nothing except who's sleeping with who, the two head out in the garden and scanned the area. "Up there luv, needa get up that balcony." They wove through the crowd and brushed off the skeptical looks, _piss up a rope you friggin' arseholes. What ain't ever seen an elf before?_ If Lavellan had heard the nobles whispering about her whether she's a dalish barbarian, ruthless blood mage, or covered in savage tattoos, then she did an excellent job ignoring all the rude comments. It was only when they overheard a snide jab about Sera that she noticed Ellana's fists clenching and unclenching, she moved closer to the mage and endured the hot air smothering her.

"Who cares what they say 'bout us, they've all got air in their heads and sticks up their arses." No response, the mage's shoulders hiked up higher the more they tensed and Sera pinched the side of Lavellan's thigh. "Listen to me, you blow up here, you blow up everything. Don't like this any more than you do but we gotta keep a clear head."

Ellana sighed frustratedly then turned to the city elf, a look of gratitude and relief evident on her features, "I'm glad you came, I don't think I would've lasted very long or gotten far without you."

"I know," Sera smirked smugly, "Owe me tons for this later yeah?"

"When this night is through and we save Celene, I'm telling her to bow to Empress Sera." The city elf bellowed out and earned the ire of several annoyed nobles that shot glares their way, her stomach ached at the ridiculous images of her in a fancy dress sitting on the throne. _Shit there goes our chance to sneak up the balcony. Her fault, so stupid._

"You know, I thought the most stupid thing you've ever said was asking if I had magic, but you just had to go and beat it."

"I don't think it's a terrible idea," Lavellan dragged Sera around a small corner where the shadows hid them from prying eyes and pressed her lips to the archer's ear to whisper quietly, "I'd bow."

 ** _She is the heir of ash and fire, and she bows to no one._**

 _Looks like Baldy was wrong._ The archer's stomach buzzed pleasantly at their proximity and she had sincerely wished Ellana would kiss her senseless instead of lurking in the darkness. _Ugh, this mission sucks._ "Yeah I'll bet you would," _if only you knew what else that means, then my wish would come true._ They had stepped out of the shadows and spotted Dorian, as if sensing their predicament the tevinter mage swiftly strode to the Inquisition bard and whispered something in her ear. Suddenly the bard belted out and sang extremely loudly, distracting the nobles as the two elves clambered up the balcony. "What the hell?" There were blood stains all over the tiles and the scent smothered the two of them, they grimaced in disgust as they followed the trail. Stopped by a locked door, Sera grins and reaches inside her jacket to pull out the small pouch containing some of her tools. She nods to Ellana and kneels on one knee, getting to work immediately while the mage remained on the look out. When she opened the door both of them groaned at the foul stench of corpses and plugged their noses, "Fucked up shit..."

"Agreed," Lavellan muttered dangerously, "Whoever did this will pay in the same currency. This was unnecessary, a complete waste of life. Why do this?" The night was still young and the two were in for an even bigger surprise, both will soon learn exactly how dangerous The Game truly is.


	17. Always By My Side

**Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!**

 **AN** **:** When things don't make sense it's best to wait at least half an hour before reading the chapter, when I upload this it's easier to catch the mistakes when I view this as a reader would (different perspective and easier to pick out mistakes). Sometimes words go missing when I upload and post, but I try to edit as fast as possible. If you're a stickler for grammar or something makes absolutely no sense, then again give me a couple hours to flesh out and fix all mistakes. Thanks for being patient and understanding!

* * *

 **Always By My Side**

* * *

"How the fuck are we supposed to find anything useful in here?" Sera's stomach twisted unpleasantly when the curious elven woman had touched one of the statues and a green fire erupted at the top, "Quit touching creepy shite Ena."

"Keep your eyes peeled, there's got to be something that will help us."

"What, books to chuck at Coryphelus's face?"

"I dunnoooo," Ellana smirked as she lilted teasingly, "I don't think he needs help looking even more messed up than he already does."

"Heh, got that right." Sera took a moment and slowly rotated in her spot, eyes soaking in every detail to see if there was anything amiss, "Fuck, if this lady was actually normal it'd be easy to figure out what sorta tricks she uses."

"What do you mean, she's not normal?"

"She's a mage, how the fuck is that normal?" The archer mentally kicked herself when she saw the hurt flash across Lavellan's face, she sighed frustratedly and raked her hand through her hair, "You know what I mean Ena. Besides you're different," she smirked playfully, "And already weird without the fancy magic shite."

"I see," Ellana mumbled grumpily and fought to keep the scowl off her face, hands smoothing along and curiously inspecting different books. "Whoever this woman is, she's collected a lot of books about old or forbidden magicks. Must know a lot about everything, I wonder if she knows a lot about fire too?" She whispered with obvious awe and fascination, she tilted her head in confusion when Sera scoffed. With the archer's heavy steps it was evident she was upset, never mind the flare in her eyes that held another emotion Lavellan hadn't yet figured out. _What is she angry about_ _now_ _?_ Rather than risk a full-blown argument the mage kept her temper in check and opted to ignore the tense atmosphere but something in the razor sharp slits rubbed her the wrong way. "Is there something wrong?"

"Nah," Sera stood at the opposite bookshelf and crossed her arms as her eyes scanned the various books, her tone held a hint of bitterness when she spoke quietly, "Sounds like you like her." _Seems like that'd be a problem, is she worried I won't stop the shemlen if she's the assassin?_

Ellana shrugged, "If she's our enemy I won't," one of the titles of the books peaked her interest and she reached out to it as she read out loud, "Secrets of Magical Application in Sex?" _What's this mean? Different topic than all these other books, out of the ordinary._ Her eyebrow rose skeptically when the panicked city elf hastily scrambled towards her and gripped her forearm in an attempt to stop her, "Uh… What are you doing?"

"D-don't read that one ye daft tit!"

"Why not?" Lavellan nonchalantly overpowered the archer and took the book out then began to open the cover until Sera's other hand darted out to slam it shut. Before either could protest the two froze as the statue beside them begun to creak and move. "What the..." While Ellana was distracted the archer quickly filched the book from her hands and stayed back as the mage investigated the new passage. Out of curiosity, Sera flipped through some of the pages and blanched then shut the book, heading over and placing it at the top of the statue that Lavellan touched before. She smoothed her hands along until she pulled some sort of handle and the flames instantly burnt the book, not even ash remained. Dusting off her gloves on her jacket she turned around only to find the mage waiting for her not too far away, head tilted and eyebrow risen in confusion.

"Uh, thought that was dangerous and stuff, better to be burnt to a crisp right?" Ellana's eyes narrowed in suspicion and Sera chuckled nervously as she scratched the back of her head, "What can I say? I like fire too." At this the dalish woman's face brightened up immediately and she beamed a radiant proud grin, Sera let out a sigh of relief. "Too close," she whispered as she ran to catch up with the energized mage, "That shite was so fucked up even demons would be fucking scared." The shadows and way the room was creepily lit up unsettled Sera and she searched for the mage, "Yo, Ena? Where'd you go?"

"Over here," Lavellan took off her glove and wove her hand through the veilfire, "This isn't… It's fire but it's not?" _It'd be cool if I could figure out how to create this. Err hot, not cool. Wait it isn't generating heat though… Cold fire?_ For the umpteenth time that evening, she tilted her head in confusion when the city elf grabbed her forearm and tried to forcibly pull it away, her struggles futile. "Sera, what are you doing?"

"G-get," Sera huffed as she pulled with both hands, "Yer _hand_ ," she wheezed, " _Outta_ there!"

"Why?"

"Why she asks," the archer scoffed, "Don't know what the fuck that is, tons o' shite can go wrong!"

"But it's fire."

" **GREEN** FIRE! That screams trouble ye daft tit!"

"Why?" _Doesn't she know I can make different colors too?_

"Ugh whatever I give up," Sera let go and stretched her fatigued muscles, "What the fuck are your arms made out of?! Didn't even budge!" She rolled her eyes when the mage's proud grin spread from ear to ear, her eyes shining bright. "Weirdo… Anyways," she turned around and scanned the dim lit room, "Didjya check the desk or go to the fire first?" The sheepish smile told the archer everything she needed to know and she sighed, her lips curled into a subtle smile, "Of course, that's like ya. You so owe me later for doin' yer job."

"Anything you want," the two made way for the table and nitpicked every page for clues, Lavellan huffed and walked behind the archer to rest her chin on her shoulder. "Sera~" she whined, "I'm bored!"

"I'm bored too! Search this shit, the faster we get this done the faster we go home."

Lavellan's ears perked and she instinctively wrapped her arms around the city elf, "What do you consider home, Sera?"

"Uh, the big fortress now I guess. My room, you-" Sera tensed briefly then finished quickly, "-r room. Wha'bout you?"

"Wherever you are," the nonchalant tone implied 'wasn't that obvious?' And the archer's ears throbbed with warmth. She had honestly expected Ellana to start on another story about her clan, yet it didn't even seem to occur to the mage whatsoever.

"Shut up and look 'round some more weirdo..."

"Do I have to~?"

"I ain't doing all yer work for you!"

"Alright, alright," Lavellan squeezed tighter and slid her chin forward, she pointed to a random letter on the desk, "What about this one?" _What is this feeling?_ For some reason the obsession to touch and get closer to Sera occupied her thoughts, the scent radiating from the city elf strengthened the peculiar urges. _Why does this always happen? I know this mission is important but,_ she glanced from the corner of her eye and watched the concentrated look as the archer's eyes moved left and right, _she's reading, working hard and here I am…_ Her hands trailed up and down Sera's waist, _these thoughts won't leave me alone until I listen._ Her hands clutched at the archer's hips and slightly nudged for her to turn around.

"Hold on, still reading."

"Read after," she whispered huskily, "I need this now." Ellana pulled off her second glove and tossed it on the table, forcefully turning the city elf and capturing her lips in a rough kiss. "Ma vhenan'ara," she breathed and playfully tugged Sera's bottom lip, "When will you tell me what this all means?"

"Shut up and kiss first," the archer rested uncomfortably against the edge of the desk and pulled on Lavellan's uniform, "Don't start something like this and not finish." She braced her palms and hopped up to sit on the table, reaching out and circling her arms around the mage's neck.

Ellana grinned against Sera's lips and mumbled lowly, "Ma nuvenin." Their ears twitched and they groaned in disappointment when they heard faint bells ringing in the background, the mage rested her forehead on Sera's shoulder and sighed. "Why do I have to do this? Leliana's perfect for this job."

"Yer asking me and dragging me 'round with ya. I'm worse at this than you are luv, don't care 'bout this shite. Got my reasons, but if you don't wanna then why do it?"

"Have to," Lavellan squeezed her eyes shut when jumbled images of Redcliffe flashed within her mind, "Can't watch that again..." It was the main reason she trained and fought so hard, to make sure that dreaded day would never happen ever again. _I can't call myself her best friend if I don't put in 110% in protecting her. Or more than best friends, whatever that's called. That reminds-_

"Watch what?"

"Huh?" Ellana parted and gazed at the curious brown-green orbs, for a moment she thought she saw red eyes peering back at her and shuddered. "Future," she muttered guiltily and averted her gaze, "When you..." She sighed and tenderly slid her lips over Sera's in a desperate attempt to distract herself from the haunting memories.

 ** _Promise it, Ena. Set me on fire._**

Sensing what Lavellan needed, the archer tugged on her bottom lip and swallowed the low growl. Their mouths melded together seamlessly in complete synchrony, the mage's kiss became more rough and urgent as the instincts that commanded her had become even stronger, more demanding. Something nagged her in the back of her mind but her current obsession indulging her needs occupied all thoughts, her hands itched to feel something other than fabric. Before she could get any farther she groaned frustratedly when the second bell rang in the background, "How many times until I have to go back?"

"Dunno," Sera breathed and tugged on her own collar to loosen it, "Cool down a little, making it too hot to breathe."

"Can't help it," Lavellan growled approvingly and trailed her kisses lower to the archer's neck, _finally. She always knows what I want, how does she do it?_ She felt deft hands work on her own jacket and she grunted in satisfaction, "Thank you, way too many layers."

"Knew it," Sera chuckled hoarsely, "Wait till you see what I got planned when we go home." At this Ellana's interest was peaked yet she was torn by indecision, _kiss now or catch assassin and kiss later?_ The decision wasn't particularly hard and she pulled the archer roughly by the hips as she latched on her throat then nipped gently. The choked guttural moan made Lavellan's blood boil and her instincts demand for something she still didn't know how to achieve, it didn't help her mounting frustration that the city elf had been breathing and making all the sounds in her ear.

 _Kiss now_ _and_ _later._

The urge to burn the uniforms to ashes was undeniably tempting, steam rose from her hands but before any damage was done Sera grasped her wrists and pushed them away from her sash, "Don't," the archer rasped out, "Red'll kill us." _Dammit,_ Ellana reluctantly complied and quelled the desires as best as she could, instead nipping rougher to sate the needs to taste and get closer. _Not enough, need more._ She felt nimble fingers weave through her hair and tug at her roots, the flames that ignited her nerves intensified and grew into a wild bonfire enveloping her entire being and soul. _What_ _is_ _this?!_

"Sera-"

"Shut up," the archer pulled her closer, "Or yer mouth'll blow this up," she kissed her with every ounce of strength she could muster and grinned when searing hands snuck in the sides of her jacket to explore. "Put it to better uses," her back arched and electricity coursed through her system when she felt the hungry tongue sweep inside the crevice of her mouth, she felt dizzy and lightheaded from the immense warmth the dalish woman breathed. She groaned impatiently when the third bell rung, "Fuck sake, how many times does that fucking go off? Pissing me off now." When Lavellan paused she sighed, "Thinking 'bout going back huh?"

"We need to eventually," the mage mumbled sadly, "Ir abel-err I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you when all of this is done, I promise."

"Don't worry 'bout it," Sera scooted forward and fixed her uniform then patted the pouting woman's cheek, "You got loads better at kissing, know that?" She grinned when Ellana's eyes lit up, "Ya finally don't attack my teeth anymore, thought that war'd never end."

"Why didn't you tell me you didn't like it?" Lavellan trailed after Sera as they head back out and took the short cut through the library, _I would have trained to get better if I knew._

"Coz," the archer scratched the back of her head and her ears flushed a light red as she mumbled so quietly it was barely audible, "Your way's fun too."

* * *

"Well she was… Interesting?"

"Tch, exactly what we need. Another friggin' weirdo," Sera scoffed and emerged from the shadows, "Knew I was hiding there too, she ain't normal."

"Do you think," Lavellan opened her palm and looked at the key Morrigan gave her, "That she's who we're looking for?"

"Nope, didn't look like someone planning to kill an Empress."

"How does someone look like that anyways?" Ellana grinned when the archer huffed and crossed her arms, "She didn't smell that way either."

"Oh, yeah? So how does someone smell like that then huh smartass?"

"In any case-"

"Yer so friggin' obvious when you switch topics, know that?"

"We should tell Bull and my damn fur to sneak in and meet with us at the servant quarters."

"My damn fur…?"

"Yeah that new lady, I haven't really gotten the chance to know her but Leliana recommended I take her with us to figure out all this Game stuff. Smells strong too so we'll be fine no matter what happens."

"Pfft..." Sera fought not to erupt in carefree laughter, "She's stinky?" _She'll kill with farts!_

"What?" Ellana looked back with her eyebrow risen in confusion as they head inside the ballroom and wove through the crowd, "No, smells strong."

"That's the same thing!" The archer groaned at the clueless look, "Never mind." Sera melded back in the shadows and walked side by side with the mage who remained in the light, she looked down at their feet and smiled softly as she matched the mage's stride. Lavellan seemed to be the popular topic among the nobles, some were disgusted and some were curious. _Nobody knows what to make of her,_ Sera's temple twitched when one noble had the nerve to insult the mage straight in her face as she passed by, but Ellana merely shrugged and continued towards Vivienne. _Only_ _I_ _can call her an idiot, you friggin' arseholes,_ her glare shifted to the man beside the noble who whispered about her as well. _If yer talkin' behind my back, you're in a good spot to kiss my ass, bitch!_

Stomach twisted with dreaded anxiety when the mage froze in her spot, Sera hastily moved through the shadows to catch up with Lavellan. _Fuck gonna blow like a friggin' bomb,_ she was too late however and the infuriated dalish woman grabbed the noble by the collar and slammed him against the wall, snarling with sharp canines bare for all to see, " **Take**. **That**. **Back**."

"Ah, the Inquisitor shows her true colors I see," the nobleman's eyes swirled with fear despite the bravado, "Are you that dirty elf's pet? Where is your master to keep you on a leash?" He grunted when Lavellan lifted the man higher so that his feet dangled, the entire ballroom had been so quiet you could hear the creaking of instruments and the rustling of fabrics as every person turned to watch the 'spectacle'.

"My dear, let me offer a bit of advice," a calm voice broke the tense silence, "You can tell a lot about a woman by her hands. For instance if they're around your throat she's probably slightly upset. I would advise against insulting the one who holds the power to decide your fate." Vivienne smiled coyly as she approached the two and gently laid her hand on Lavellan's forearm, "He's not even worth killing, Inquisitor. Surely you have more important matters to attend to this evening?"

 _This the snobby chick Ena supposed to bring?_ Sera remained ready to spring into action and forcefully stop the mage, _she's got balls going up flame-brain, is Ena even listening though?_ Ellana's jaw tensed and her teeth grind loudly, her hands  itched to be set ablaze and every cell of her body demanded retribution for the man's callous words. Sera whispered quietly so only the dalish elf would be able to hear her, "Ain't worth it Ena. Hate it too, but she's right. Put 'im down and lets get outta here." Her eyes scanned the room and she scowled, _everyone looks fucking amused with this, like they don't even care if the guy lives or dies. Only if there's gonna be a friggin' party on his corpse, this place is fucked up._

Miraculously Lavellan had actually complied and dropped the man, a smirk evident on her features when he had crashed on the ground painfully. She walked closer to the other mage then whispered about going to the servant quarters, Vivienne nodded affirmatively and muttered something Sera couldn't decipher when the nobles erupted in their quiet gossip once more. _They're mad nothing happened? What the fuck is wrong with these people?!_ She wisely remained quiet as she lingered behind the obviously infuriated mage, her anger still evident in the way her stiff body moved. "The next person to insult you," Lavellan muttered with murderous intent lacing every word as she glanced at the shadow-cloaked elf, "Will pay for it." _Why's she care so much 'bout it? People talk shit 'bout me all the time, don't care though._

"Let 'em talk luv, that's all they can do. Don't worry 'bout what others think coz they don't do it lots. Let's grab Bull then shove an arrow up the fucker's arse for forcing us to go through this stupid bullshit. Sounds good innit?"

"Yeah," Ellana turned around and let out a slow breath, her grim features replaced with a look of sincere gratitude. She leaned forward and gave Sera a chaste kiss on the forehead, "Thanks for being here, Sera."

"Always, yeah?"

* * *

It was Sera's turn to be blinded with rage and the absolute need for vengeance, Lavellan reacted quickly and wrapped her arms around the archer's waist. "A fucking… What fully qualified arsehole stops to kill a fucking cook?!" She struggled against the strong hold and her anger escalated at the calm, rational voice belonging to the new mage.

"Kill the ones that would escape and alarm the rest," Vivienne frowned at the display of the two elves, "Our purpose here is to investigate what's happened. We must remain clear-headed and level, there are bound to be more like this."

"Someone's family," Ellana muttered dangerously and lowered the city elf when she ceased to struggle, "They didn't deserve this, nobody does. Find whatever you can use and let's move out immediately," she cracked her knuckles, "Whoever did this doesn't deserve a chance to live."

"With all due respect Inquisitor, we should keep them alive in order to extract information, it-"

"No, they've forfeited the right the moment they involved innocents. They can take their 'information' to their grave, I don't need it." Sera smirked proudly when Ellana brushed past the Orlesian mage who-despite her tame exterior-clearly disagreed with the decision. She ransacked one of the crates in the kitchen to find the hidden stash with her weapons and cursed when she couldn't pry the lid off.

"Yo Ena, bust a hole in this thing for me will ya?" Her eyes widened in panic and she deftly flipped back when a fireball skyrocketed towards the box, the crate exploded and the remaining pieces whined as the hungry flames chewed it apart. "I needed a friggin' hole not a fuckin' explosion!" Sera groaned when Bull snickered quietly and she buried her face in her palm, "Dammit, there goes my arrows..."

"Your weapons were in there?" Lavellan flicked her wrist and extinguished the fire then put her glove back on, she sifted through the charred wreckage and what little else remained, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Didn't think you'd blow it sky high," the archer grumbled and scanned the area for what else she could use, "Ugh, this is gonna suck." She sighed when she approached one of the dead cooks, her eyes glazed over the dagger still firmly embedded in the back of his head. Her hand hovered over the hilt and she mumbled quietly as she eased the weapon out, "Sorry 'bout this bud, need it." She glanced when she had noticed the smell of ash and wood traveled farther away, Ellana was on the move. Looking back at the dead cook she quickly rolled him over and closed his eyes, "She'll find the fuckers who did this, don'tcha worry." She ran to catch up and hopped down the ledge into the courtyard, peering over Bull's side, "This guy looks too fancy to be here, what's his story?"

"That's Gaspard's crest on the dagger hilt," Vivienne noted, "Hardly a surprise, really."

"So Gaspard is responsible for all of this?" Lavellan stood and looked at her companions, eyebrows furrowed in thought, "Didn't smell anything from him."

Madame de Fer glanced at the other two, confused when they had seemed nonchalant and accepting of the mage's odd statement, "Dear, you can't smell something-"

"She can," Sera interjected defensively and crossed her arms, eyes narrowing at the Orlesian mage. _And you reek of snobby bullshite, even normal folks can smell that from ya. Bet this is what Ena meant when she said you smell strong._

"Boss's got the nose of a beast," Bull chuckled, "Animals ain't got nothing on her." At that, Ellana's head tilted upwards and she took a tentative sniff in the air, head shooting to the left. Her eyes widened and she rushed forth leaving the other three behind, "Boss wait up!"

Screams echoed across the courtyard and Sera gritted her teeth as she sprinted to catch up to the mage, "Slow down before ye get caught in a trap ye daft tit!" As she rounded the corner she cussed when she found the source of the screams, a frantic elf desperately running away from an assassin. Lavellan had been oh so close to stopping the assassin but didn't make it, the servant groaned in pain and fell to the ground, blood pooling around her. _Fuck this_ _really_ _isn't good!_ The mage yelled out and her gloves immediately burned away when flames erupted from her palms, she blindly charged towards the killer. "Ena get back!" Sera flipped the dagger and skillfully grabbed it by the tip of the blade, reeling her arm back and launching it towards the assassin. It was too late, the man grabbed a flask and tossed it to the ground causing it to shatter and thick smoke to rise. Ellana coughed and shielded her eyes with her forearm, running out of the heavy cloud and keeling over with her hands on her knees. Her chest heaved for fresh air and she scanned the area, eyes narrowing angrily when she spotted the man retreating into the apartments.

"Boss, you alright?" Bull cautiously walked towards the frustrated mage and reassuringly patted her shoulder, to which she shrugged the hand off.

" _No_ ," Lavellan wheezed, "We _need_ -" she coughed again, "To catch him."

"Catch your breath first," Sera stared sternly at her then went to retrieve the dagger stuck in the ground, _dammit, second earlier and I coulda nailed 'im._ Her eyes trailed sadly to the new dead body and then to the mage, coal eyes filled with guilt rather than anger. _Feel sorry for her, people always dying 'round her._

Lavellan growled in frustration and slammed her fist in the ground, "Fuck! If only I'd gotten here faster," she gritted her teeth and drove her fist into the dirt again, "I could've saved her!" _Know the feeling all too well,_ Sera and Bull exchanged concerned glances when the dalish elf continued to punish the dirt, neither really knowing what to say to comfort her. _Reality, this is just what it's like. If someone lives, someone else dies, fact._

"Don't blame yourself for this my dear," Vivienne spoke calmly, "Blame the killer, he's the one truly responsible." _Gone, she ain't listening no more._

"Shit like that don't help her," Sera walked forward and knelt down, squeezing the dalish elf's shoulders and giving a slight shake, _good thing I got these gloves, can still feel the sting though._ "Ena look at me," she bit back a sigh when the stubborn mage refused and how her body quivered, "Explode on the mother fucker, don't kick yourself over this. Can't save everyone. Can't do nothin' for her now, but that-" she pointed to the apartment buildings, "We  can do something 'bout, yeah?"

"Yeah," Lavellan muttered lowly then stood, her hair bangs covered her eyes and her lips formed a thin line. Her fists clenched and unclenched, flames wove between her fingers and her head shot up, eyes glaring in the direction the assassin ran away. "Can do far worse than just 'something', that shemlen will learn what it's like to die in fear." The mage rolled up her sleeves and dusted off the dirt on her breeches, attempting to fix the uniform before frustration and impatience got the best of her. She immediately took off and left the others behind again, screams of agony and explosions were the melody of the night.

Sera grumbled to herself, "Daft tit doesn't know the meaning of 'wait'..."

* * *

"Demon! Monster!"

"That's **YOU**! You're the one senselessly murdering innocents who have  nothing to do with any of this. **Nothing**!" Lavellan ripped off the assassin's mask, reeling her hand back and clenching it in a tight fist as flames burst to life. She held the man by the collar as she repeatedly drove her fist into his face, her rage escalating with each sickening crunch and the feel of blood staining her knuckles. The skin slowly melted as it was gnawed by the fire, the rubbery feeling as it began to stick to her fist made her stomach churn with disgust. She let go of the assassin and spat on his body then glanced over her shoulder at her companions, noting how Sera plugged her nose and averted her gaze, "How do shems bury their dead?"

"They actually burn 'em Boss," Bull looked a little hesitant when he replied, "You want to pay respect to this guy?"

"Is that a joke?" Ellana seethed, "He doesn't deserve that and I wanted to take that away, but if burning would help then never mind. I'll drag him outside and leave him to the birds instead." She grabbed the assassin by the ankle and effortlessly pulled him away, eyes never meeting Sera's as she did. Nose tilting upwards she noticed a familiar scent filtered in through the array of blood and metal, fire swirled around her free hand as she gestured to her companions with her head to get ready.

"Fancy meeting you here," Briala spoke confidently and unafraid as she rounded the corner, "Strange place for you to be in, don't you think Inquisitor?"

"Same to you, what are you doing here Ambassador?"

"I came to avenge my people, but I see," her eyes trailed down to the dead assassin Ellana had been dragging and smirked sadistically, "That you've already done that for me. You're quite thorough aren't you?" Lavellan's temper lashed against it's small cage and begged for its release, she gritted her teeth and gripped the dead man's ankle tighter. Steam rose and whined as it chewed flesh, she shook her head and continued towards the balcony.

"I've an offer you may be interested in hearing, Inquisitor."

"All I want is to find the one who intends to assassinate Celene. I'm not interested in your tainted offers."

"You've yet to hear me out, don't you need an army?"

"And just what," Ellana whirled around angrily, "Would I need to do for this support? Judging by your smell I'm doubting it's out of the kindness of your heart." When Briala smiled coyly the mage scoffed and turned around, "Forget it. I'm tired of this stupid 'game'. It's not even fun." She pulled the assassin out on the balcony then threw him off, "Leave him to be shit on by the birds before you clean that up."

"I like your style, Inquisitor." _Does she truly care for her people?_

"After all that's happened..." Lavellan's blood boiled and screamed at her to let loose on something, anything. She clenched her fists and unintentionally met Sera's eyes then averted her gaze to the floor and exhaled slowly. Closing her eyes she focuses on calming herself and getting her temper to sit politely in it's cage.

 ** _Listen to me, you blow up here, you blow up_** ** _everything_** ** _. Don't like this any more than you do but we gotta keep a clear head._**

"Come on," she opened her eyes and gestured to her companions with her head, "I'm sick of this place, let's get out of here." She strode to the opening of the balcony and hopped down the ledge, grunting at the impact of the landing. _Sera's right_ , she looked over her shoulder and watched when the three took turns jumping down, _and that'd be spitting on everything Leliana and Josephine worked so hard to teach me._ She jumped down the second ledge and wove through the maze of a courtyard, eyes scanning the new agents geared in armor and weapons, _why hadn't they come earlier? They could've saved everyone._ Her jaw tensed when she remembered about Briala, _she didn't seem terribly torn up and I barely smelled guilt._ Something soft tapped the back side of her hand and she glanced over to see Sera with a worried expression, she forced a reassuring smile on her face. _I've forced her to come to this stupid ball, forced her to follow me in this dreaded place, is it wrong of me to still want-_ _need_ _-her by my side?_ She averted her gaze and mumbled guiltily, "I'm sorry, Sera."

"For what luv?" The archer walked closer and playfully bumped shoulders with her, "Didn't do nothing wrong."

"Plenty of things I've done wrong, especially to you. I made you come and-" her eyebrow rose in confusion when Sera walked in front of her and placed a finger on her lips to silence her. "Sera?"

"Shut up and listen yeah?" The two paid no mind to the impatient scoff and quiet snicker behind them, "I do what I want and I chose to come, didn't make me do nothing I didn't already wanna do. Besides," Sera grinned mischievously, "You said you'd give me anything I want, and I'm holdin' ya to that when we go back home. You'll try hard to keep yer promise right?"

"I won't try hard," burden lifted and heart feeling lighter, Lavellan's lips spread into a radiant grin against the gloved finger, "I **will** keep my promise."

"Atta girl," Sera replaced her finger with a chaste kiss and smirked when the orlesian mage huffed, she patted Ellana's cheek, "Come on. There's still nobles for you to piss off."

* * *

"Why am I not at all surprised to see you now?" Lavellan crossed her arms and watched Duchess Florianne who simply smiled politely, _there's something off with her smell._ She tried to keep her expression neutral as she inhaled a couple times for good measure, _if she didn't wear so much of the shem thing Josephine sprays on herself it'd be easier to tell what it is._ Her nose wrinkled and she fought not to sneeze, _what was it called again? Perfume? Useful weapon, could distract enemies with this..._

"This is Halamshiral Inquisitor, nothing happens by accident here."

"So I've seen," the Duchess gestured to Ellana and began to walk to the entrance of the dance floor, the mage nervously glanced at Sera who hid in the shadows. _Something doesn't feel right with Sera either, but what?_

"Come, I'm sure everyone is waiting with bated breath to see how you dance, Inquisitor."

"Me and you? I was taught a woman is to dance with a man though," her head tilted in confusion when several nearby nobles erupted in giggles and snickers, _did I say something funny? That_ _is_ _what Josephine and Leliana taught me…_

"Don't worry," Florianne kept her face void of emotion, "This is strictly business." Lavellan shrugged and head down the steps, _you trained hard for this, don't disappoint now._ She offered her hand to the Duchess and shot a glance when she felt the cold palm slip into hers, she let her body move on it's own accord to the music, naturally settling into the rhythm. _Something definitely feels wrong._ The way the Florianne spoke, the questions she asked, each one made the mage increasingly uncomfortable as her instincts screamed at her. Her blunt answers regarding not knowing about Orlais's war backfired on her, her eyebrows furrowed with worry when she heard the nobles whisper about her. Eyes glancing at Josephine in a pleading manner, she was disappointed in herself when she saw the crestfallen look on the Ambassador's face. _I don't understand any of this, it's not my fault!_

When the Duchess offered up her brother Gaspard without a single thought Ellana thought she was going to crack, _I need to get out of here right now. To sacrifice even your own family?_ When they finished their dance she walked away briskly and muttered lowly, "We'll see what the night has in store for us won't we?" She clenched her fists as she walked up the stairs, _these shemlen,_ her jaw tensed, _disgusting. And they call_ _me_ _a barbaric savage?_ Her remaining patience had been cut into even smaller pieces when her advisors approached her, the tense atmosphere with clearly disappointed looks in their eyes was enough to make Lavellan  want to follow Varric's suggestion about scaring the assassin in the court room just by standing in the middle all pissed off. "You must at least try to be careful Inquisitor," Leliana muttered, "At this rate we'll be kicked out of the ball."

"'At this rate'," Ellana spat back bitterly, "I don't think that's such a bad idea. Everybody here is doing such an amazing job killing each other that maybe the assassin is already dead." She crossed her arms when the advisors exchanged hesitant looks, "Forget this, I'm going to the Royal Wing area."

"Wait, what?" Leliana grabbed the Inquisitor's forearm, "It'll be extremely dangerous in there, I'd advise against it. Did the Duchess say anything?"

"It's my only lead and I can handle it, it's not a problem. Florianne offered up Gaspard-didn't seem heartbroken about it at all either. My gut tells me she's up to something and I intend to find out what," she yanked her arm out of the Spymaster's grip, "We're running out of time, we need to save Celene."

"Perhaps we should let her die?" Leliana winced at the heated glare, "Listen to me. If we let the Empress stay in power there may still be chaos. I propose-"

" **No** ," Lavellan gritted her teeth, "I've met nothing but ruthless killers all night. I don't want to know that my advisor is one as well," she turned around and began to walk away, "We save Celene, end of story." The mage's shoulders tensed, _I just want to sleep,_ her heart constricted painfully, _what is wrong with everyone? Have they all lost their minds?_ She pushed open the doors with a little more force than necessary and ignored the disapproving looks the nobles shot her way, _this is ridiculous, how blind are these people?_ Unaware that Vivienne had been calling out to her, Ellana wove through the crowd and rushed up the steps. Her fist clenched tightly and threatened to erupt in flames, her urges demanded she raze the palace to the ground and destroy anything that got in her path. A familiar accent filtered through the red haze enveloping her mind and she spun on her heel, glaring at the shadows.

"Calm your tits before you explode luv," Sera stepped forth, "Really dunno what 'wait' means do ya? Lost Lady-Shits-Gold and Iron Bullshit back there, should go grab 'em first." The mage ignored her advice and turned around to head into the Royal Wing, "Oi! Listen to me ye daft tit," she followed inside and yelped when she grabbed Ellana's shoulder only to find herself slammed against the wall. "F-fuck," she groaned at the aches and pains, the heat smothered the oxygen out of the air and she found it nearly impossible to breathe. "Ena," the archer felt lightheaded and she fought to focus on the smoldering coal eyes, "Calm the fuck down right now or you'll do somethin' you'll regret." The silence stretched as the two glared heatedly at each other, neither moving a muscle and instead having a war with their eyes. Lavellan was the first to cave in and sighed, expression softening but hands still firm.

"Don't follow me, I don't want you in any more danger." _I'll be_ _fine_ _on my_ _own_ _._

"Already am weirdo," Sera grinned, "You're danger, and I like it that way. Let's go do what we do best and fuck shit up yeah?" It was moments like these that made Lavellan's blood boil with a different kind of heat, the urges to kiss the archer senseless and explore every part of her would eat away conscious thoughts. Before the desires got too strong to resist Ellana nodded and immediately turned away from the city elf, slamming her fist in her palm.

 _That's right, as long as Sera's by my side we can do what_ _we_ _do_ _best_ _._

* * *

"There!" Lavellan sprinted down the corridor and ignored Sera's shouts, she burst into the room and immediately charged towards the assassin, "Get away from her!" Raising her arms to guard her face, she side-stepped to evade the sword thrust her way and immediately closed in, clinching the assassin's neck and driving her knee into their mask. Before she could finish her off the assassin somersaulted back and escaped through the window, "Fuck, get back here coward!" Ellana rushed to follow but before she could jump Sera wrapped her arms around the mage's waist and held her back.

"Calm the frig down before ya kill yourself ye daft tit!" Sera planted her foot at the window sill to push away in order to prevent the dalish woman from leaping to her death. " **ENA** , IF YOU DON'T LISTEN WE AIN'T FRIENDS ANYMORE!" That stopped Lavellan dead in her tracks and she tensed in fear, she hesitantly glanced over her shoulder.

"You really mean that?"

"N-Yeah!" The archer mentally cheered when Ellana immediately slackened and ceased the struggle, instead turning around and enveloping her in a tight embrace. "Oi," Sera wheezed and tapped the mage's shoulder blades, "Ease up, hard to breathe."

"I'm sorry," _ugh shite shoulda known this'd happen,_ "Don't go."

"I won't now quit moping ya big baby," Sera grinned and playfully poked the elven woman's sides, "I only said that so you'd stop tryin' to friggin' kill us." Her eyes fell on the frightened servant and she forcibly turned to face her, groaning when the mage hugged her back, _this is so friggin' awkward._ As seriously as she could manage Sera asked the servant what had happened, and once again fought to keep the mage calm when they learned of Briala's plans. "Go on," Sera looked at the servant, "Get outta here and find someplace you can hide to stay safe." She looked down and sighed at the warm arms wrapped tightly around her ribs, "Leggo'f me Ena, we gotta keep moving." _So freaking clingy, damn._ Part of her was annoyed, but at the same time part of her liked the abundance of physical contact whether she wanted it or not. She smiled softly when she felt the pressure between her shoulder blades move up and down as the mage nodded, "C'mon then, still got shite to blow up." As they navigated through the dim hallways their ears perked when they heard groans and grunts behind a door, the mage stayed on the look out as Sera pulled out her pouch of tools and immediately got to work on the locked door. _Damn, this one's fancy innit?_

When she finally unlocked the door and the two stepped inside, she hadn't known whether to laugh or cry first. She glanced nervously at Ellana who seemed completely fine with the man tied to the bed, _just how comfortable is she with naked people?!_ Oddly enough she had felt awkward and wanted nothing more than to cover the mage's eyes and get out of there as soon as possible. _Why?_ She shifted uncomfortably as she tried to figure out the insecurity she felt, _she don't care and nothing to worry 'bout right?_ She reached and lightly tugged on Lavellan's wrist, "Let's go Ena."

"Hold on," the mage interrogated the soldier about what Celene knew and Sera felt more uncomfortable with each passing second, _she shouldn't see shite like this._ She tugged again, "Sera just hold on," Ellana muttered irritatedly and yanked her wrist out of the city elf's grasp, "We need to free him." When she moved closer to the naked man, Sera's stomach flip flopped and churned unpleasantly with bitter feelings and an overwhelming sense to protect the mage. She watched silently and forced herself to remain patient as Lavellan worked on cutting the binds, _she's innocent._ Sera stiffened, _why am I so worried? This gullible idiot dunno anything 'bout sex anyways._ Images from the book she saw at the library surfaced in her mind and instead were replaced with both her and the mage, she shook her head in a desperate attempt to quell the urges and ache that now settled between her thighs. _Those were fucked up! Even if it's Ena I wouldn't let her try that!_

Snapped out of her reverie when Ellana's scent was faint, she looked around only to find herself with the awkward man. "Don't… Just don't mention she saw you naked, alright?" The soldier nodded despite being clearly confused and Sera sighed, she exited the room and sniffed the air to track the mage. _Left?_ She entered another room and looked around, _bound to be something useful in here,_ giving a quick scan she ran over to the racks and grinned, _exactly what I need._ She opened the case and pulled the expensive looking bow out, quickly drawing the string to test the tension, _pretty fancy. Guess poncy farts know a good bow._ Searching the room she found a set of arrows and picked up the satchel, _hip-draw huh? Not used to this,_ she adjusted the length so that the container holding the arrows rested comfortably in a way she'd still be able to draw quickly, _beggars can't be choosers._ "Ena?" She ran out the hallway and followed the lingering smell of ash and charred wood, pressing her ear against the set of massive doors when she heard familiar voices on the other side.

"I'm afraid I'm a bit busy if you're looking for another dance, Florianne." _Shit, walked into a fucking trap!_ Sera panicked and looked around, kneeling down and crawling to get a better look out the window, _fuck_ _!_ Ellana stood in the center of the field with multiple archers aiming at her and a green tear above her head, _what the fuck Ena, why didn't you fucking wait?!_ She gritted her teeth and sweat trickled down her head as her eyes darted to and fro, looking for decent spots to shoot and wracking her mind for solutions to get the mage out unscathed. _No matter what, one of us'll be fucked, dammit!_ Sera braced herself and inched the massive doors as slowly as she could, sticking to the shadows and pouring the arrows from the hip-pouch on the floor. _Won't get away without a scratch, but at least we can make these bitches regret messing with us._ She noticed when Lavellan tilted her head and glanced over her shoulder, _knows I'm here, good._ Sera drew the string and chambered an arrow, waiting for the right moment to strike.

When Florianne left, Ellana rose her hand to the tear and re-opened it, deftly flipping back and sprinting towards the archer. She braced her palm along the railing and hopped over to take cover, bumping shoulders with Sera as she launched one arrow after another. "Are you fucking insane luv?! Why didn't you wait for me?!"

"Smell the air," _what?_ Sera took a whiff and looked at the mage confused, "Exactly, I didn't smell that many people either. Stupid shemlen perfume." The archer grinned and chuckled softly, _only her._ "Save your arrows," Lavellan stole a peek over the railing and ducked back down, "Let the demons take care of them." As soon as the last of the venatori hit the ground, the mage rolled out of cover and charged towards the demons, arms cloaked in flame. _The fuck she running into the middle of them for?!_ Sera gritted her teeth and chambered her arrow, tensing when the dalish elf slammed her fist into the ground. The entire area erupted in smoke and blocked the archer's shot, _what the fuck is she doing, I can't see anything now!_ "Up here!" Sera followed the voice and looked above only to see the mage grab on to the balcony railing above them and clambered up as quickly as she could. Balancing on the railing she turned around, hands risen above her head with a ball of flame gradually growing larger between her palms. "Sera, stay in cover!"

"WAIT!" The archer's eyes widened and her throat constricted in fear, "ENA! You'll blow me up too ye daft tit!" It was too late, the mage jumped back into the thick dust cloud and moments later intense heat along with immense force knocked Sera back. She dropped the bow and cradled her head, groaning when she slammed into the wall behind her. _Is this idiot_ _trying_ _to kill us?!_ She rolled on her stomach and crawled towards the bow, keeping her head down when wave after wave of explosions destroyed what little was left of the battle-field. _She's fucking insane! Gonna tear down the whole palace if she keeps this up!_ Sera rolled out of the way when she heard the balcony above her crack and crumble, immediately grabbing her bow and scrambling to her feet to sprint into the open field where rubble didn't threaten to crush her. " **ENA**!" She coughed and clamped her free hand over her mouth, eyes stinging from the dust swirling around. _Vulnerable like this, fuck!_ Sera drew the bowstring and chambered an arrow, eyes squinting as she slowly spun and attempted to focus on movement in the thick cloud. When the dust finally settled, she saw the mage on her hands and knees desperately heaving for air. "Idiot!" Sera ran towards her and abandoned the bow as she helped the elven woman stand, "What the fuck was that?!"

Ellana grinned tiredly, "Wanted to try something I learned from that assassin at the apartments," _what the hell is she talking about?_ She rose her hand in the direction of the rift and clenched her fist, sealing the tear and slumping against the archer in exhaustion. "N-now," Lavellan wheezed, "All that's left is to shove your arrows up Florianne's ass and smoke her." Sera chuckled affectionately and grinned, _she always forgets._

"You can't smoke people, weirdo."

"Can't set them on fire either," Ellana mirrored the archer's grin, "I promised I'd only do that to you."


	18. Innocence

****Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!****

 **AN** **:** _Reader-_ Lance why you no let Ena see sex book?! _Me-_ Sera wants to preserve Ena's gullible innocence… Before she caves in to the dark side and taints Ena herself ;) Mwuahahaha!

* * *

 **Innocence**

* * *

"Ena what the hell are you stripping for?!"

"It's hard to move in this stupid jacket," Lavellan growled frustratedly as she fought with the buckles, "Can you help me?"

"You can't take it off?" Sera smirked when the mage grumbled, "How did you even put it on?"

"I didn't." The pause dragged out for a while until the archer was the first to break the silence and awkward staring contest.

"O...Kay. You clearly did if yer wearin' it, know that right?"

"What? Oh no that wasn't me," Ellana let out a content sigh when the city elf pulled the sash off, "Josephine is the one that tortured me with all these layers." Sera's temple twitched and she accidentally pulled on the buckle strap rather than loosening it, "Ow! What was that for?!"

"Oh," Sera looked down then back at the pouting mage, her lips spread in a mocking smile, "I'm sorry~ big baby." _Why didn't she ask me to help her instead?_ Images of the Ambassador wrestling the uniform on a restless and naked dalish woman occupied her thoughts and with it, bitter feelings. She chuckled when Lavellan kept grumbling about how the buckle might have broken her rib, "You walk into traps, blow craters in the fuckin' ground, charge at demons and dance with dragons. If a  buckle kicked your ass, I'd laugh 'til I died."

"Thanks," Ellana moped and her shoulders slumped, "Always got my back."

"Any time luv, anyways there ya go buckles and shite are all off. Need help taking the jacket off too princess?" Sera bellowed out when the mage stared warningly at her, "Yer too fun to tease." She ate her words when Lavellan yanked the jacket off, _oh shit…_ Her mouth hung ajar and she could feel her throat going dry, less-than-appropriate ideas bounced around her head as her eyes trailed along the tight sleeveless shirt hugging the mage's form. _Apparently she likes to tease too,_ she averted her gaze and rubbed her palms together, _we gotta get outta here. Get a hold of yerself,_ she subconsciously glanced back, _used to think she was pretty before, but she's fuckin' hot now. How does a flabby, mopey tit turn into somethin' like this?_

Ellana picked up the sash and wrapped it multiple times around her waist then tied the knot on the side of her hip, she moved across the destroyed field and towards the man hiding in the bushes. He yelped with fright when she grabbed his wrist and dragged him out, "Get out here, I won't hurt you. Yet. Who are you?" As the captain talked as if a fire lit up his ass, Sera fought to keep her hormones under control. _Need a clear head,_ she sighed frustratedly when all she could think about was sliding her hands under the mage's shirt to feel the toned stomach for herself. _Can see it so much better now, whoever gave her that shirt definitely knows-_

 ** _Josephine is the one that tortured me with all these layers._**

Sera stiffened and her jaw tensed, _noticed how Ruffles steals looks when she thinks nobody's looking,_ she smoothed her thumb along her palm and wrapped her fingers around to crack her thumb, _Ena spends lots of time in her office too…_ The bitter feelings surfaced stronger than ever before along with the absolute  need to prove to everybody that Ellana was hers. _She even said she's_ _my_ _idiot, we've kissed in bloody front of everyone. Ruffles better not be thinkin' she's got a fuckin' chance._ She chewed her lip nervously, _anyone can take advantage of this daft tit coz she dunno any better. What if she's already kissed Ruffles?_ At that her stomach churned and overwhelming nausea assaulted her senses, she clamped her hand over her mouth and stared angrily at the ground, _she's_ _mine_ _and everybody better fucking know it._ A light shake of her shoulders snapped her out of her reverie and she looked up, Lavellan's eyes were etched with concern. "Not feeling well huh? Need me to carry you?"

"Nah I'm alright," Sera straightened herself out and took a deep breath then coughed when some of the dust still floating around from the earlier battle tickled her throat. "Damn, yer gonna piss off alotta poncy farts when they see what you've done to their fancy castle." Pride filled her at that and her lips curled into a smirk, _she's better at pissing off nobles than I am._

"I'd wager their lives are more important. Besides," Ellana grinned childishly, "I can just say I decided to help them decorate and renovate." They looked around the field, little crater holes and seemingly infinite rubble littered the area and the two bellowed out in laughter as soon as they glanced at each other from the corners of their eyes. "Alright come on, we need to hurry up and catch up with Anne."

"Who the fuck's Anne?"

"Florianne? Name's too long and it'll sound stupid to bust in the court room and be all STOP FLORIANNE! Sounds better when it's STOP EVIL-ANNE!"

"Uh, hate to break it to ya but… They both sound stupid luv." Sera sighed when the mage visibly deflated and pouted as they navigated through the rubble, _is she seriously gonna be mopey 'bout this? Come on,_ she groaned and scratched the side of her head as she thought of a way to cheer up the woman. "How about you bust in there and just punch her in the face without saying anything? It'll be funny too."

"Oooh, that's not such a bad idea," Lavellan motioned the archer to take a couple steps back and stretched out her palm at the rubble blocking the doorway, flames spiraled around her arm and she directed it forward. As the fire shot forth it morphed into a ball and exploded on impact, blowing the rubble away.

Along with a massive chunk of the wall itself.

"Seriously Ena," Sera's eyes danced with mirth and her tone laced with obvious amusement, "Why don'tcha just blow up this whole place?"

"Believe me when I say it's tempted me more than once, but I have a feeling the Ambassador and Spymaster will lecture me for hours on end. At least they'd leave me alone about etiquette." Their ears perked when shouts echoed and thundering footsteps neared, "Get rea-" Ellana looked back and noted the lack of arrows as Sera crossed her arms.

"Ya didn't even leave me any rocks to chuck at them Ena, what the hell?"

"Sorry," Lavellan smiled sheepishly but couldn't help the laughter bubble in her chest, "Hopefully they have some arrows you can use."

"Try not to blow those up too then."

"No promises, now let's go and give them a surprise of our own!"

* * *

When they reached the private chapel, Sera remained in cover while the dalish woman hopped to and fro, using the rows of pews to her advantage in order to evade or launch herself at the venatori zealots. The mage maneuvered flawlessly, gracefully flipping back and balancing on the pews with her hands as if it had been remarkably easy to do. _Guess all her training paid off after all, good thing Bull made her do all that shite before learning how to fight._ She stole a peek around the side of the pew and drew the bowstring then chambered the arrow, sprinting across the chapel and shooting the arrow then sliding into cover again. "Yo, Sera!" The archer looked above her only to see that Ellana had jumped over her at that instant, her eyes widened in panic.

"Ena get down!" Sera reached up hoping to grab the mage in mid-air but missed, instantly hopping over to follow Lavellan and tackling her to the ground. An arrow grazed her shoulder and she winced, _too fucking close!_ "Daft tit," she wheezed, "Need to pay attention to the archers too."

"I am," Ellana smirked mischievously and her eyes danced with amusement, "I've one paying special attention to me right now."

"I meant the enemy ye daft tit! You'll have arrows up yer arse if you keep dancing 'round without taking care of 'em!"

"That's why I've got you to take care of them for me," Lavellan rolled them so that she was on top and rotated her torso, summoning flames from her palm and blowing away the zealot at point-blank range. "And that's why you've got me to take care of those ones for you," she playfully stuck out her tongue when the archer rolled her eyes. _Why can't she just throw a freaking ball and make shit explode?_

"Just get off so I can do your work for ya then," _maybe it's like that time she fought at the coast? She looks really tired,_ "No more fuel?"

"All I can muster is straight from my hands, I don't have much energy left." _Knew it._ "I can still-"

"You won't be able to close in fast enough before yer riddled with holes," Sera nudged off the mage to the side, "Can't do everything yeah? Nothing wrong with watching each others' backs like we always do. Now watch how it's done luv," the archer grinned and gave a thumbs up, she inched to the edge of the pew and tilted her head to steal a peek. _Gotcha fuckers,_ she yelped when she was roughly pulled to the side. "Ena what the fu-" she paused when the mage merely pointed past her shoulder and she looked behind her, an arrow had  actually tore through the pew and the edge of the arrow-head stuck out from where her head was just a few seconds ago. _Holy fuck! What the hell are these things made outta to do that?!_ Sera glanced at her bow and arrow then shrugged, _figure it out later,_ she drew the bowstring and chambered an arrow. "Think you can cause a distraction Ena?" _Besides distracting me anyways._

"Not a problem," _yeah, agreed,_ the dalish woman got on her hands and knees then readied herself, nodding to Sera and sprinting to the opposite pews. Multiple arrows were launched her way and she dove, grunting when she crashed on the ground. The city elf took her chance and ducked out of cover, releasing the arrow and whooping loudly when it sank right in the venatori's head. Wasting no time she pulled another arrow from the hip-container, adrenaline buzzing strongly when the enemy marksman had also done the same. _Shit, we'll both get hit!_ In a fight where skill and speed is evenly matched, who wins?

The one on the side of an angry dalish elf hopping on the pews like a monkey, apparently.

Sera gaped when Ellana charged forward and tackled the marksman, the sniper was caught off guard when he had focused solely on the city elf. Overpowering him greatly Lavellan pinned the sniper's wrists above his head and grabbed his face with her free hand, "Eat this!" Muffled screams echoed in the chapel as steam rose and gnawed on his flesh, the smell smothered the air and Sera plugged her nose. _Grossss,_ she eased the bowstring and grabbed the dagger from the dead zealot nearby her and rushed over. She knelt down and dragged the knife across the man's throat, ignoring the heated glare from Ellana.

"Got no time for this luv, save yer strength. Still gotta save the big butt on the throne remember?"

"Oh, right..." Ellana smiled meekly and the archer groaned. _She fucking forgot_ _again_ _. Is it bad that I actually expected that this time?_ "So walk in and just punch Evil-Anne's face right?"

"Quit sayin'- _ugh_ just... Without the evil anne shite or yer just gonna look like a friggin' dumbass if you say that."

"Alright!" Lavellan jumped up and wiped the sweat off her brow with her forearm then slammed her fist in her palm, "Let's go show Evil-Anne how excited we are to see her!" She ran off and Sera buried her face in her hand.

"I said without the evil anne ye friggin' weirdo..."

* * *

Doors slammed against the walls and the hinges groaned in protest of the force, Lavellan stomped down the steps and ignored the shocked whispers. "Maker, what happened to you?" Cullen and Leliana ran up to the infuriated mage, "Are you alright?"

"Evil-Anne's the assassin." The two advisors exchanged confused glances then back at Ellana, waiting for her to elaborate.

Which she didn't.

Sera groaned behind the mage then stepped beside her, "This daft tit means the Duchess. Damn near killed this idiot too when she walked in a trap. So, what now luv?"

"Huh? We punch her in the face remember?" _She's seriously gonna do that? I was joking too. This'll be fucking priceless._ Sera smirked at the clueless looks on the advisors, they too weren't sure if the mage had been serious or not. Before they could ask, Lavellan cracked her knuckles and set off for the court floor, _holy shit she's seriously gonna do it. This is fucking awesome, she can be annoying all she wants this friggin' makes up for everything!_

"She's… Not serious right?" Cullen murmured, still in a daze with everything taking place. As the mage marched on the floor he groaned, "Maker, she's serious." The Commander signaled to several of the Inquisition soldiers to round up and get into position, two waited nearby the Duchess and she noticed. All eyes in the court room fell on the battered dalish elf and snickers filled the silence, nothing but snide comments poured from their mouths. _Arseholes,_ Sera glared and was about to snap, _she's saving your fucking asses and your biggest problem is that she don't got a fancy jacket?_ Empress Celene walked forth and began to address the court, several cheered and clapped to her speech yet eyes remained on the elf weaving through the crowd. As soon as Florianne walked towards the Empress, Ellana pushed aside the nobles and hastily scrambled forward.

"Celene get away from her she intends to kill you!" Lavellan's eyes widened when Florianne signaled the harlequins to kill the Inquisition soldiers that guarded the perimeter, "STOP!" _Fuck,_ Sera ran around to catch up with the mage chasing after the Duchess, _she's gonna run into another trap!_ She looked behind and saw that several of the other companions wove through the panicked crowd, she tightened her grip on the bow and drew the string ahead of time, releasing an arrow in a futile attempt to slow the Duchess down. Sweat poured from her when the portable-campfire ran beside her, clearly infuriated, _fuck can't she calm down just a_ _little_ _?_ "Cullen, protect everybody else!" The two synchronized elves braced their palms against the railing and jumped off the balcony ledge, Sera chambered an arrow and cussed when Florianne had done the same. _Fuck,_ she glanced at the mage from the corner of her eye, _if I let go so will she and Ena's dead, shit! If only I was just a second faster…_

"Care for another dance, Evil-Anne?" Lavellan grinned as if she had said the most clever thing in the world and Sera groaned, shaking her head when the Duchess shot her a confused look and silently asking for an explanation. _I can't handle this shit anymore._

"Just… Don't ask..." The longer she held the string the more her shoulder screamed, _crap,_ she glanced at the torn fabric where the marksman grazed her and the blood that steadily trickled out. _Good thing jacket's red too, if Ena saw this she'd flip o-_ an idea struck her and she smirked. "Ena, my arm hurts." _Seems pissed enough to make fire, but piss her off even more and she'll blow this bitch away without breaking a sweat._

Lavellan looked over confused, "I don't-" she paused when she inhaled and her eyes widened as they fell on the archer's wound, _oh shit!_ At the same time, Sera's eyes narrowed when she noticed Florianne's fingers twitch and loosen, _fuck_ _!_ She released her arrow and side-stepped to bump Ellana out of the way, crying out in agony when the Duchess's arrow tore through her shoulder. _FUCK! Ugh shit I fucking missed!_ The gates behind them were slammed shut by the harlequins and the heat intensified to the point Sera had immediately felt light-headed from the lack of oxygen. Before the mage could react, Florianne shattered a flask on the ground but the thick smoke didn't deter Lavellan. She rose her forearm to her face and the surface of her skin morphed into flames, the hot air made the smoke rise faster and clear. As the elven woman charged ahead, Sera crawled into cover and yelped when she tried to pull the arrow out. _Gotta fucking,_ she clenched her teeth, _take this out and help her, shit!_ Pulling on her sash and stuffing it in her mouth, she braced herself and quickly snapped the end of the shaft. The small amount of pressure as the arrow shifted made her cry out, thankfully muffled by the sash.

Light ringing settled in her ears and Lavellan's shouting in the background vaguely registered in her mind, the archer reached over her shoulder and steeled herself as she grabbed the other end of the arrow, mindful not to accidentally touch the sharp arrow-head. "Sera!" Her head shot up to see Varric, Dorian and Bull on the other side of the gates, they swiftly pried them open and ran to her side as Varric provided cover fire. "Shit this looks bad, yo Vint do somethin' for her," Bull reached over to the protruding arrow and ignored Sera's muffled protests. "Just close your eyes you need him to patch you up," the archer glared at Dorian as if trying to say 'don't come near me' then yelped when Bull yanked the arrow out. Before she could react in time the tevinter mage's glowing hands hovered over the wound and began to knit the fibers back together. _Fuck, gonna hurl,_ Sera's stomach churned with disgust, _smells wrong, feels wrong, magic is fucking wrong!_ Images of Ellana cloaked in fire bounced around her mind and the archer gritted her teeth, _she's different, and it's fire! Fire is alright,_ "Vint hurry up we gotta help the Boss!"

"Then go, I'll fix up the imp. Varric and you need to stop that woman before she makes this entire place collapse on us!" The dwarf and qunari nodded then rushed off, Dorian's worried eyes fell on the groaning archer and he muttered quietly, "Why did you anger her? It's incredibly dangerous and risky."

"Exactly why I did it dumbass," Sera groaned and squeezed her eyes shut as another wave of nausea overwhelmed her senses, but at least the pain was fading away. "That bitch won't stand a chance with a pissed off fire-breather on her ass. How did you know I-"

"We saw what happened while we were approaching, and Bull said he heard you complain about your arm before you decided it apparently didn't hurt enough." The tevinter mage's hands glowed brighter as they made way to the back of her shoulder, "Regardless, refrain from angering the Inquisitor like that. Her magic is just as dangerous for her as it is for other people."

"W-what are you on about ye daft tit? You even said it before she's got a good handle on her shit, why's it a bad thing?"

"Because in order to wield and master an element, you have to understand and mimic its properties. The closer you're like the element the easier it is to control and create it but it's a double edged sword, that element in turn controls you. Are you following or is this too difficult for you to get, imp?"

Sera grunted and shook her head, "All I hear is blah, blah, blah and still don't see why it's bad." She grinned tiredly as the tevinter mage sighed and stole a peek at his hands when the pain had completely faded away, immediately closing her eyes when the creepy green glow made her stomach twist into little tight knots.

"It means that her fire can consume her. Her main source of power comes from her emotions and her fire is fueled by anger, if pushed past that limit she may never come back. Handy since that means she has infinite energy so long as someone pisses her off-which there is a never ending supply of-but dangerous because it could permanently break her soul if it's too weak to handle and command that much energy. Now do you get it?"

"So being angry's a bad thing, well duh that's pretty obvious."

"Something tells me you still don't-"

"Anyways," Sera groaned and swatted his hands away then struggled to stand up, "You dunno Ena like I do. That'd never happen to her, and don't care what you say. She's not you, she ain't like any of you fancy magical tits."

"Don't be reckless Sera, this isn't something you can casually laugh off! It doesn't matter how powerful she is, you cannot control emotions!"

"Listen moustache," the archer grinned and pointed at the destroyed courtyard, statues were covered in soot, the fountain had been reduced to rubble, and a large ring of fire trapped Ellana and Florianne inside. "If there's one thing Ena taught me it's that she always finds a way to beat the odds."

* * *

Lavellan rolled to the side and scrambled to her feet, flipping back and digging her palms in the dirt to evade the Duchess's dagger. She had successfully disarmed the woman of her bow and inwardly cheered thinking that the victory was now hers, but she was oh so wrong once the blade came into play. There were no openings and her mind was in overdrive mode for trying to figure out how to dodge rather than close in and land a hit. The longer the fight drew out, the more exhaustion wracked her fatigued muscles and she had started making mistakes. She's never fought with an opponent like this before and it didn't help that Florianne pulled all sorts of dirty tricks, but at least the circle of fire protected her from any venatori that thought about coming after her. She side-stepped from a thrust, _now!_ Before she could grab the woman's arm, the Duchess quickly recovered and jumped away. _Fuck sake, this is annoying!_ Sweat clouded her vision as it poured from her forehead, _she knows once she's caught she's dead, she's not taking any risks._ Florianne smiled smugly and this infuriated Lavellan, _and she knows I'm pissed off about it!_

Scanning the field beyond the flames, relief crashed down on her when she saw Sera with Dorian, _looks like she's fine, I think. Hard to tell,_ Ellana deflected a strike downwards and moved to clinch until the woman deftly evaded once again, "Fenedhis!" The Duchess laughed freely at the mage's obvious frustration, the ring of fire flickered and gradually weakened, _I can't sustain that forever, it's draining too much out of me but she'll escape if I don't keep it up._ She froze when jumbled images flashed across her mind too fast for her to make sense of them.

 ** _Ar'din nuvenin na'din!_**

 _The elven child?_ Her heart squeezed painfully at the memory, _why am I remembering this now?!_ She could see the boy move in her mind's eye, the way his guard dropped from exhaustion. _Wait,_ she stiffened at the sudden realization and smirked at Florianne, _if we won't take risks then the only way to win is…_ "Scared of getting dirty, Evil-Anne? I only wanna hug!"

"Charming, I'm surprised your master didn't tell you how stupid that name is. The Inquisitor, potentially the most powerful woman in all of Thedas bows down to trash." The Duchess rushed forward and thrust her dagger again, jumping back to evade the mage's grabbing attempt.

"Take that back! Sera's not trash!"

Florianne laughed, "That's what you get angry at? Just goes to show how short that leash of yours is." They took turns and fell into a routine of striking, deflecting and evading, the pattern seemed to go on forever. "You know I'll win Inquisitor, I have far more experience and endurance than you. Just give up and I might give you a quick death!"

"Shut up," the mage's knee buckled from exhaustion, "Fuck!" Her eyes widened when the Duchess immediately closed in and she could hear Sera shout out in the distance. The mage smirked with victory, _now!_

 ** _The knee one works best if your enemy is charging at you. More momentum._**

Lavellan forced her quivering knees to stand and braced herself, instead of deflecting the blade she instead went to clinch the woman's neck and drove her knee into her mask. She tensed her abdomen as best she could when the knife penetrated and groaned in pain, as soon as she hit the ground she forcibly pulled out the dagger and scrambled to Florianne. She straddled on her waist and pinned the Duchess's wrists above her head, digging the bloodied blade in the woman's pale throat. Relieved and assured victory was indeed hers she extinguished the circle of fire and shouted out, eyes never leaving Florianne's. "Sera! You've an ass to shove an arrow up, get down here!" The Duchess's eyes widened with fear and she struggled against the mage's powerful grip, Ellana leaned down and seethed inches away from her face, "This is for forcing us to play your stupid-not-fun 'Game'." Her temper flared and instead of waiting for the archer, she pushed the dagger down and slit across the neck, stomach churning at the guttural sounds and blood oozing out of the gash. She let go of the hilt and clambered off, _I actually wanted to train a little bit with weapons but no way. Rather burn or punch, less mess._

Sprawling out on the ground with a huff and spreading her sore limbs out, Lavellan winced when she rose her head to take a look at her wound. _Glad I wrapped the sash around this many times, still stings but I don't think it got as deep as it could've,_ she gripped the edge of the sash and tried to tear it, _the hell is this even made of? Can't rip it,_ she groaned when white-noise filtered in her ears as she tried to muster the flames she no longer had, grinning tiredly when the archer came into view and looked at her upside down. "Hey. I'm pooped." Sera's mouth moved but the ringing made it difficult to decipher what she had been saying, "I can't hear you Sera," her vision blurred, "And you're starting to look weird." Slowly she reached out and slid her hand to the back of the archer's neck then pulled her, kissing her upside-down with every ounce of strength she had left. When she parted she chuckled weakly, "Ready to stitch my ass cheeks together?" Exhaustion blanketed her mind and the urge to sleep was overwhelming, her eyes slipped shut and her lips spread into a content smile as she felt fingers weave through her hair and massage her scalp.

* * *

"Ugh..." _I feel like a halla had a party on my body,_ Lavellan groaned and braced her stomach as she slowly sat up, blearily blinking and looking around the dim-lit room.

"Look who's finally up, you sleep like the dead," the mage followed the direction of the voice and her lips immediately spread into a grin, "The heck you smiling for ye daft tit?"

"Dunno, just for seeing you I guess. Can't think of a better reason," Ellana looked down at the fancy bed sheets then scooted over, patting the spot beside her, "Come here."

"Ain't gonna ask what happened?"

"Nope. Now come here."

"Seriously," Sera's eyes danced with amusement as she rose from the uncomfortable-looking chair and walked over, "Yer something else, know that?" She hopped on the bed and laughed when the mage's hands grabbed her wrists to pull her down, "Calm down before you hurt yourself."

"Mmng," Ellana pouted and pulled her more, "Hurry up."

"What the hell do you even want me to do?"

"Lay down, I wanna hug you," Lavellan replied nonchalantly and missed the way Sera's ears flushed, she grumbled impatiently and tugged again, "Come on hurry up!"

"Alright, alright! Jeez just wait a sec," Sera scooted in closer and laid on her side, her heart fluttering as she felt the mage tuck closer and drape her arm along her front. "Fuck," she muttered under her breath when the warm body melded perfectly against hers, she looked down to see how close Ellana's hand was to her chest. "You're doing this on purpose aren't you Ena?" Silence, the dalish elf shifted closer and squeezed tighter, the heat in the room gradually rose. "Ena," Sera's lips parted in an involuntary gasp when pleasurable warmth seeped into every part of her, "Shit..." The hand traveled higher and knuckles brushed the underside of her breast, Sera thought she was going to lose it and growled, "Now I know yer doing this on purpose!" She stiffened when the mage finally replied.

With a soft…

Content…

Clearly-conveying-her-true-intentions...

Snore.

Looking back, Sera had never wanted to scream in frustration in her entire life as badly as she did now. Not caring who'd hear her and remembering how heavy a sleeper the clingy dalish elf is she let loose, " **FUCK! MY! LIFE!** "

* * *

When Sera awoke she shivered from the cold. _Wait… Cold?_ She looked behind her and then scanned the room for her missing fireplace, "Ena? Where'd you go?" Sliding off the bed and rotating her stiff shoulder from where she'd been shot, she exits the guest room and searches for the mage. After thwarting the Duchess's plans, many of the nobles changed their rude opinions of the Inquisition-though not all of them. Still, it was refreshing not to hear a snide insult about her or Ellana every couple of seconds, and Sera pieced together the whispers indicating where the mage may have gone. She went in the Vestibule and smirked when Cassandra spotted her, a pleading look in her eyes that clearly conveyed 'please rescue me'. The archer shrugged and left her to the nobles, continuing her trek to the ballroom. _That daft tit better not be dancing 'round or she'll mess up my stitches,_ she still remembered the aches and pains when her shoulder protested to the movements at the time, along with telling Dorian 'where to go' when he insisted on healing Lavellan.

"Looking for the Inquisitor?" The archer looked to her left and scowled, _Ruffles…_ She nodded and was confused to see many of the nobles cheerfully dancing on the floor, _how fucked up can these people be? Our guys died there and it's already all cleaned up for a fuckin' party._ Josephine followed the city elf's glare and smiled politely, "They're celebrating because the civil war is over. Lady Lavellan miraculously convinced the three leaders to work together. Proud of her, I don't know how she di-" the Ambassador's voice droned out in Sera's head and she brushed past her, sniffing the air and trying to single out the mage's scent in an array of strong perfumes, cologne, and blood. It wasn't surprising that the blood was what smelled the strongest, _why wouldn't it if these daft tits kill each other in here all the time?_ Concern gnawed away at her as she stood and slowly scanned the entire room, _Ruffles didn't know, is she stupid? Those three are rotten to the core and Ena no doubt told 'em straight up. Bet they switched their tune once they knew they were caught with their pants down._

Finally, the faint scent of ash tickled her nose and she immediately shot off in the direction, relief filling her when the smell grew stronger with each step. _Outside huh?_ Another vague yet familiar smell near the ash and wood filtered in her mind, _this one's recent, who's this again?_ Something struck her as wild and mysterious, when Sera stood at the entrance leading to the balcony she glowered at the raven-haired woman who passed her without so much as a look of acknowledgment. _Right,_ _that_ _fuckin' creepy weirdo. The hell she want with Ena?_ She looked back and noticed the mage slumped dejectedly against the balcony railing, "Hey, you alright?" Walking up and noting the new fancy jacket Ellana had, the archer playfully bumped shoulders and rested on the railing beside her.

"Yeah… Just tired. Been a really long night."

"I'll say, got some bloody dark circles 'round yer eyes luv. Didn'tcha sleep?"

"Don't know how long I did but it didn't feel like enough that's for sure," Lavellan murmured, "All my energy was sucked out of me when I was forced out of bed to play stupid politics with three people all blaming each other but not themselves."

"Take it you all told 'em that you knew their secrets huh? Wish I'da been there to see their shocked faces."

"They weren't, honestly. That's what pissed me off, even noticed the Empress try not to smile and instead brushed everything under the rug like it wasn't a big deal. I'm beginning to see why you hate nobles so much," Ellana grumbled and pushed off the railing, "I can't wait to go back to Skyhold, but the advisors insisted I had to stay for the 'congratulations' party before taking the carriage back. Congratulations," she seethed and clenched her fists, "Our people died and they want me to have a fucking party?" _She's gonna blow._

Before the mage's temper and exhaustion got the best of her, Sera grabbed her wrist and dragged her towards the ballroom, "Who says we gotta listen? Come on I got an idea of how we can loosen up." Guiding her and using her nose to sniff out the nobleman Lavellan had the spat with earlier in the evening, she grinned when she felt the mage tense in her grip. _She remembers his smell too,_ "Hey!" The nobleman angrily spun around at having been interrupted of his  important conversation about wearing feathers on caps and immediately stiffened when he saw Ellana. "You're the bitch that told this bitch," Sera thumbed to the other nobleman, "That I'm a bitch. Well listen bitch, it takes a bitch to know a bitch, bitch!" _Fuck_ _that felt good!_ The nobleman's mouth hung ajar and he glared at the mage as he snapped.

"What is the meaning of this Inquisitor?! Tell your friend here to watch her foul mouth!"

Lavellan shrugged and mirrored the archer's grin then waved her hand dismissively, "I know I should respect your opinion," _aw what?! She's taking this prick's side?!_ Sera's temper flared and disappointment welled up in her when the mage gently pulled away from her grasp and turned around to walk away, "But I find that difficult because you're a fucking idiot." Sera bellowed out in gleeful, carefree laughter and followed the elven woman, Ellana reached over and gently squeezed her hand as she glanced at her, "Now  that felt awesome."

"What did I tell ya? Wanna find the other fuckers that dissed us?"

"No," Lavellan smiled when the archer visibly deflated, "That would take all night and I have a better idea." _Huh?_ The two went outside and made way to the stables where the carriages were, _we're leaving?_ The dalish elf instructed the driver where she wanted to go and paid him a large sum of gold to make up for the fact they'd be traveling through the night.

"Didn'tcha say you had to stay Ena?" Ellana opened the door to the carriage and held her hand out to help Sera climb in, her eyes danced with mischief as she grinned.

"Who says we gotta listen?"

* * *

Three quarters of the trip the heavy sleeper woke abruptly when the 100th bump on the road startled her. "F-finally," Sera groaned tiredly, "Back from the dead again, huh?"

"I fell asleep…?" Lavellan blearily wiped her eyes and lifted her head from the archer's lap, she wracked her brain for the last memory before she drifted off into her deep slumber.

"Didn't even start moving either and you were knocked right out," Sera rotated her stiff shoulder and Ellana's eyes narrowed on her, "Don't gimme that look, know how heavy you are to move? Let ya stay until I got lucky and the next big bump on the road moved ya to my lap. Even got worried if ya might've snapped yer neck but you were still sleeping away without a friggin' care in the world." Despite the annoyance and exhaustion heavily lacing Sera's accent, there was a hint of affection in her tone and she smirked at the guilty look in the mage's eyes. "Don't worry 'bout it luv, just another thing to make up to me yeah?"

With that Lavellan wasted no time and moved instantly before the 'soothing' motion-which would be considered bumpy and hell on earth for anyone else-lulled her back to sleep. The urges to be close to the archer overwhelmed her and her heart swelled with the unknown emotions she was increasingly getting frustrated for not knowing the names for, but at the moment she settled for action over answers. With just one look the two elves shared a whole conversation and with one kiss shared their thoughts. It didn't take long for their mouths to crave more and hands become needy and urgent with their touches, Ellana moved on the seat opposite to the archer and tugged on her wrists so that she would sit on her lap. Sera rested her knees beside the mage's hips and chuckled huskily when she kept her lips out of reach, her eyes danced with amusement and mischief as the mage kept trying to kiss her.

"Wow Ena you suck at tag~" Sera lilted teasingly and groaned in approval when the mage growled, wrapping one arm around her waist and pulling her down by her neck to capture the evasive mouth. Lavellan tensed when she felt the tiny hands push away the new jacket off her shoulders and stopped kissing, the city elf parted in confusion, "What's wrong?" Suddenly, the mage had a look as if realization dawned on her and she grinned, pulling Sera back for a kiss. "W-wait," Sera pushed away, "What the hell was that all about?"

"Just remembered something that I'm curious about is all."

"Huh? The hell are you talking 'bout?"

"Remember the library? You said you have something planned when we go home," Ellana's grin grew and obvious excitement danced on her features, "And I asked myself whether I wanted to still kiss or catch the assassin and kiss later."

Sera laughed, "So you chose and did both instead, what was the point of asking?"

"Dunno," the mage shrugged, "But it just occurred to me that we made it Sera. We did it, you and me." She brushed her lips tenderly and whispered, "Can you tell me what you planned? I can't wait that long."

"You'll havta," Sera swept her tongue along the elven woman's bottom lip and grinned mischievously when she darted away to evade the kiss, "Know why we did it, Ena?"

"Huh? Did what?" Ellana had been completely focused on trying to capture the elusive mouth once more and already forgotten the topic, the archer rolled her eyes and chuckled. She rested their foreheads together and gave a brief kiss as she breathed quietly, her lips curled in an affectionate smile.

"It's coz we're a me thing and a you thing."

 _And it's not just dreams anymore._

* * *

As soon as the carriage driver tiredly announced that they reached Skyhold, Lavellan kicked open the door and slung the protesting archer over her shoulder. She hugged the back of Sera's knees with one arm and patted her rear-end, tilting her head and talking as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "Quit talking to my fucking ass ye daft tit! Put me down!"

"Nope!"

"Yer gonna hurt your friggin' stomach too, that shite's still healing. Dammit Ena just put me down I can walk on my own!"

"Nope!"

" **ENA FOR FUCK'S SAKE JUST-** "

"Nope!"

"UGH!" Sera hopelessly banged her fists on the mage's back but her attempts were futile, all she could do was helplessly watch as the ground moved in front of her and wait for her chance at revenge. _Where the hell is she taking me anyways?_ She recognized the stone steps and tilted her head up, _the stables? So we are going to the kitchen?_ She paled immediately and groaned, _everyone's gonna fucking see this tit walking around with an ass beside her face and I bet she's gonna talk to them like it's friggin' normal too._ True enough, Lavellan did just that and tried to strike a conversation with the cooks as she casually stuffed her mouth with cheese and bread. The cooks smiled meekly and tried to remain professional despite the clearly awkward situation and once the mage's cheeks puffed up like a nug she waved goodbye and went on her merry way.

"Mmph-hmf hm-mm?"

"Yeah." Sera stated flatly, "Sure. That sounds good," _no idea what the fuck she said and right now I don't care. This tit's gonna friggin' pay for flaunting my damn arse like it's everybody's business. Ooh-hoh do I have 'plans' for you_ _now_ _you fucker. I've been saving my best pranks for you too, just wait till I set those up._ She couldn't make up her mind whether she was relieved or annoyed when Ellana  finally journeyed to her quarters, but as soon as her back hit the familiar bed all plans for revenge immediately evaporated under the dizzying heat of the inferno mouth clamped over hers. Impatient hands ripped her tattered uniform apart and the mage burned the offending jacket, her eyes fell upon the fresh scars on Sera's shoulder. The archer sighed, _shit here we go with the mopey guilt stuff,_ she reached and smoothed her palm along Ellana's cheek, "Hey, look at me." She brushed her thumb along the mage's bottom lip and smiled reassuringly, "Not fair when yer the only one with bad ass scars, yeah? Wipe that mopey look off yer face it doesn't hurt anymore. Should be more worried," she gently poked at the spot Lavellan had been stabbed and noted how the amber specks in the coal eyes glowed brightly, "'Bout yours since it's still sore."

"It's not a problem," the mage's tone had taken on the hoarse timbre and Sera grinned mischievously, _she sounds like that when she wants_ _that_ _._ The archer tugged on Ellana's collar to signal she wanted it off then helped the mage take off her jacket as she leaned back. Placing her hands on the mage's shoulders and guiding her to lay on her back, Sera gently straddled her hips and lowered to plant a kiss on her forehead.

"No ifs, ands, or buts Ena, you have to stay on your back or we don't do nothing, deal?"

"Deal. Is this part of your plan?" The mage was obviously curious and eager, Sera couldn't help but laugh.

"The one time you're actually dying to hear a plan... I don't know whether I should be scared and look outside if demons are shitting out the sky again or be proud." Lavellan shrugged and grinned sheepishly, for a moment the archer thought she had been hallucinating. _Wait a sec,_ her eyes narrowed like a hawk and she noted the warmth that radiated from the mage's cheeks in particular, _I think it's a lil red… Holy shit is she actually blushing?!_ Her heart swelled and threatened to burst, _forget hot and sexy, she looks so fuckin'_ _ugh_ _!_ Sera roughly locked lips in order to appease the rapidly-growing urges to kiss the dalish elf senseless, _pretty, cute, hot and silly. That shit should be impossible._ Her hands began to roll Ellana's shirt up and without thinking she clambered lower to plant tender kisses along her stomach yet remained mindful not to irritate the healing tissue. When the mage arched her back and let out a low moan, Sera's mind caught up with her mouth and she froze, her chest felt like it was going to explode as her heart thundered erratically against her rib cage. One word haunted the archer and would continually chant in her mind whenever these situations arose.

 ** _Innocent._**

 _It ain't right if I do this, I can't…_ Sera looked up and noticed how the dalish elf lifted her head and looked at her with confused eyes clouded with desire. _Can I?_


	19. Purity

****Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!****

 ** **AN** **:**** You know Nyx you pointed out something quite important actually, in regards to Ena's 'innocence'. Though in Thedas killing isn't  really uncommon (uhh hello Lance, it's like the friggin' norm), it's true that Ena isn't innocent especially with how cruel she can be even when punishing 'vile' people. Remember how she told Sera she was 'pure' to which Sera replied 'I'm not pure'? (Paraphrased of course, the exact lines are mentioned in this chapter). It's the same in reverse. Ena is the embodiment of vengeance (hence Elgar'nan vallaslin) but still has honorable morals, yet Sera associated her with 'innocence' since she herself thinks she is 'impure'. The irony is that each of them think the other is pure despite their flaws, more on this is elaborated in the chapter.

 **Warning:** If I offend any ladies I apologize ahead of time, I believe I remained relatively respectable but if there's something that makes you want to strangle me since it's the most rude word ever, feel free to give me a shout and I'll change it (preferably with your help so I don't stumble upon another rude word).

* * *

 **Purity**

* * *

"Don't stop," Sera moaned when she felt fingers dig into her, "W-wait Ena, too rough!" The mage grunted and eased a little, her voice hesitant as she experimentally touched.

"Like… This?"

"Yes- _hah fuck_ -hit the spot, feels so fucking good..." The archer hissed as sparks shot through her, the pleasure short-circuited her brain and she arched against Lavellan's hands, "Push harder, warm up yer hands a bit more too." Her lips parted in an involuntary gasp and she groaned in content, "Thought ya said you've never done this before? Coulda fooled me, yer a natural at this."

"Well there was that one time," Ellana shifted her weight and slid her hands along the city elf's creamy skin, "But I wasn't sure if you liked it or not."

"Did, just drove me a lil nuts is all." Sera rotated her torso and looked at the mage straddled on the small of her back, "Didn't we agree you were supposed to be on your back? How the fuck did it turn out like this?"

"I like being on top."

"Quit saying shit that could- _ohh fuck._ " The archer buried her face in the pillows to muffle her curses as the fingers knead the shoulder where she'd been shot, though the wound itself had been healing just fine, her muscles still stayed contracted and tense. It was then she stiffened and stole a glance at Lavellan before another wave of pleasure blinded her, she slammed her face back in the pillow. _Now that I think 'bout it both of us were yelling_ _really_ _bad shit for a while now… Ah who cares, works for me._

"The enchantments are weak," the mage mumbled disappointingly and Sera looked back, confused.

"What?"

"The pendant and ring," Ellana stabilized her shoulder blade with one hand, "Brace yourself, this is going to hurt," then moved her shoulder back and forth. She chanted apologies while the archer muffled her groans and yelps in the pillow, "I'll need to borrow them to fix it."

"What are- _hah_ -they supposta do?" _Hope it's not super fancy magic stuff, well if it's Ena I trust her._

"Control pain and help heal if you're injured, but it's doing neither."

"How do ya know?"

Lavellan lifted her hands, "Wait a minute and tell me if your shoulder feels warm," she grumbled disapprovingly and helped Sera roll on her back then knelt by her side, taking her hand and pulling off the ring on her middle finger. "Just curious, why this finger?"

"Most important finger, duh," the archer stiffened at the look in the coal eyes, _shit she doesn't know 'bout flipping birds,_ her stomach twisted pleasantly at the smile on Ellana's face, _well… It's alright if she doesn't, still important._ She watched the mage rotate the ring several times, "So how's it supposed to work?"

"Fire."

 ** _I thought your favorite thing was fire?_**

 _She's… Is she…_ Sera's lips parted and her eyebrow rose skeptically, "There's a fire inside of me?"

 ** _Especially yours._**

"The heat without the burn," Lavellan slid the ring on and nodded, "Yeah I barely feel anything and the ring is supposed to strengthen the pendant. Damn I messed it up..." She looked at the archer's shoulder, "And? Any warmth?"

"Tiny bit," Sera grinned reassuringly at the crestfallen look, "Hey, isn't it better that it's not enough rather than burning me alive? Just gotta try again right? Besides I forgot it's supposed to do anything, was only wearing it becau-" she paused and averted her gaze, her ears throbbed with warmth. _The hell am I thinking?!_

"Because what?" The mage gently slid the ring back on Sera's middle finger and she found herself mesmerized when she watched, the soft warm fingers felt nice as they traveled along hers to push the ring to her knuckle.

Without thinking and still dazed her mouth ran off without her mind, "Because it reminds me of you." _Smell and… Wait what? Fuck, shut up Sera!_

 ** _Purity._**

"Mm," Ellana's lips spread into a proud lopsided grin and she kissed the tip of the archer's finger as she held her gaze. Out of curiosity she pushed Sera's shirt up and leaned down to press her lips against her stomach much like how the archer did for her earlier. _What the hell is she doing to me? Stomach's buzzing with bees._ Soon her kisses turned into tentative licks to taste, absorbed by the task and unaware Sera tugged on the roots of her hair. "When you did this to me," she mumbled and planted a soft kiss beside the archer's belly button, "It made my urges to touch you overwhelm me in an instant, I've never felt it before." _Can't do this, we can't._ Trailing up she noticed the city elf's rib cage rise and fall faster and she looked up at the razor-sharp slits, "But it felt amazing, and I want it. Want it for you too. Want you, no not enough don't want you," she shook her head and smoothed her lips over Sera's, " Need you." _Too damn innocent, too pure. How the hell does someone like you end up with me?_

 ** _Pfft, I ain't pure that's for damn sure._**

"Ena w-wait," Sera dragged her shirt back down and looked up, clear concern etched in her eyes. The silence stretched seemingly forever as she fought with herself, contemplating on her decision. _Want it, but everybody leaves after I give 'em what they want. What's to stop Ena from leaving too?_ With a sigh she clenched her teeth and forced it out, "We  can't." _She'll get bored, move on to Ruffles._

 ** _You've been betrayed and burnt multiple times, consumed by your own fire._**

"Can't what?"

"Can't… Do that." _Or Baldy, ew. Or some elfy tit, I can't watch her go. Even the best frig in the world ain't worth losing,_ she inwardly chuckled, _my best friend._

 ** _Yet still you hope, you reach out, you don't give up. You try one more time._**

"And what's 'that'?" Lavellan smiled when the archer huffed and averted her gaze, "Sera, look at me." _I can't._ When the city elf refused she chuckled affectionately, "I'll just make you look at me then." The mage planted tender kisses along her jaw bone and whispered in her ear, "Can't do 'that'… Or won't?" _Both_. Sera remained silent and the mage trailed down her jaw then to her other ear, "I want to show you how I feel, kisses don't feel enough. I don't know how to do more and," she parted then came into Sera's field of view and grinned when the archer's eyes darted away, "I know that you  know. It's even in your eyes," _it's better if you don't know!_

 ** _Is it so hard to just tell me? Open up to me?_**

"If you're not going to talk, does this mean I can do whatever I feel like to you?" Sera's stomach churned pleasantly yet she refused to budge, "I'll figure it out one way or another, Sera." _Something like that is-_ she hissed when the mage rolled her shirt back up and trailed her tongue along the ridges of the ribs. _Keep this up and I'll lose control,_ the archer clenched the sheets in her hands and gritted her teeth, _I need to get out of here before I blow up what we've got._

 ** _Surely by now you can trust me, surely by now I've proven myself worthy?_**

"What are you afraid of Sera?" _Losing you._ Ellana sighed at the despondent elf and slid off, feet padding quietly across the room. The archer's heart squeezed painfully and her inner voice chastised her, _do nothing and lose her anyways, idiot._ The chill had become unbearable and she desperately wanted the mage's warmth again, frustration welled up in her chest, _I'm just trying to do the right fucking thing! You were the one that showed me to do what's right, not what's easy! So why do I still lose?!_

 ** _Ma vhenan'ara, my heart's desire._**

Something sounded like it was slid open then closed, _a drawer?_ The feet softly padded closer to her and the bed groaned at the weight. Sera kept her eyes shut, nervous to confirm the disappointment that undoubtedly swirled in the coal eyes. Moments later she felt something warm and squishy smooth along her shoulder, _is she putting poultice on?_

 ** _Please trust me. I'll always come back._**

"You know," Ellana spoke hushed and soft, "Once you told me to pay close attention, believe it or not I did." She chuckled when she saw the archer's lips curl into a subtle smirk, "You told me that what we were doing was only between you and me and nobody else. That it should only be done with only one person." _She remembers that?_

 ** _Ma da'assan, I promise I will never leave you behind. You..._**

"You're that one person. I told you before you're my best friend, my bond-mate. I'm with you for life whether you like it or not. It's a me thing and a you thing to annoy you, remember?" Lavellan placed the bowl of poultice on the night table then leaned down to kiss Sera's forehead, "You know when you asked if I'd choose between you or my family? I gave you the wrong answer." The archer stiffened and anxiety welled up in her, her eyes shot open and she was confused to see the amber specks glowing warmly, "Friends become our chosen family. You are my family."

 ** _Will never be alone ever again. Trust me,_** ** _please_** ** _._**

"Ena," Sera's eyebrows furrowed in confusion when the mage held her finger against her lips. _Saying this shite so damn easily,_ the archer had felt mushy and squishy, her body was torn with indecision. She wanted to pounce on Ellana and tear all their clothes off, but at the same time she wanted nothing more than to listen to the soothing voice and passionate eyes that held a separate conversation of their own. _Bond-mate, there's that word again. The hell does it actually mean?_

"Ma emma sa'lath," Lavellan tenderly brushed her lips over the archer's, "I can smell you, remember?"

 ** _Fine I'll bite, what's my fire_** ** _smell_** ** _like then, smartass?_**

"What? The hell are you..."

 ** _Not body odor or sweat, soul._**

 _She… Doesn't know 'bout sex though, no way she'd know that I'm thinking 'bout that. Right?_ "You aren't wild or free, you're caged. That isn't like you," the mage clambered down and straddled Sera's thighs, planting gentle kisses on her stomach, "When I do this, you lash against that cage. Something wants out," her coal eyes clouded as she stared at the archer, "It's that time again. Your eyes say you want it, your smell tells me you need it, this feels good so why hold back? I'm sick of you saying we can't," she roughly nipped Sera's hip and grinned wolfishly at the hiss, "I **can** and I **will**." _She doesn't fucking get what this means dammit!_ "I made a promise to the future you and I intend to keep it." _Why the hell did future me havta be stupid and force her like that?!_

"Ena," Sera gritted her teeth and her eyes lulled back when the hands left a trail of fire along her skin, " _Fuck_ -Ena future me's an idiot. I don't want to put pressure on you 'specially when-"

"How many times do I have to tell you," Lavellan got frustrated with the archer's undershirt when it kept rolling down, so she did what she does best.

She ripped and burnt the damn thing off.

 _Ugh, I actually liked that one too!_ All conscious thought and protests flew out of her mind when she felt the molten-hot tongue trail higher and higher, she resisted the urge to laugh when she felt the soft nose accidentally bump into the underside of her breast. Ellana didn't care whatsoever and rasped out, "I like it when you put pressure on me, Sera." The archer rose her head to take a closer look, she couldn't decide if she wished she hadn't or loved that she did. Smoldering coal eyes and amber specks screamed at her with sincere honesty and resolve, the unwavering gaze did a number on her sanity and made the ache between her thighs become absolutely unbearable. _She always says shit that could mean something else, is completely friggin' clueless that she turns me on just by kissing me, and makes me wonder how in the fucking hell I lived without her when she touches me._ "Maybe you're hesitating because you need certain words said but I don't know those words Sera. I only know what I feel, but you're the one that helps me show it. That's not enough for me and I refuse to wait any longer."

 ** _Is it really so hard to say what you feel out loud?_**

"I want to know what you want, and I want to set you free from this stupid cage you've locked yourself in. You're an idiot, why would you even do that?"

"What?! I'm not an idiot, you're the idiot! And you're weird!" _She's fucking pushing it!_

"You're weird too! Who sits in a cage and fights to stay there?!" _What the hell?! She was all sweet and making me feel mushy but now she's just pissing me off!_

"I don't **want** to stay but-"

"Then quit being a stupid idiot, you big idiot! Bigger idiot than I am!"

"What the fuck Ena?!" Sera shot up and skillfully rolled the two so that she was on top, she seethed inches away from the grinning mage's face, _ugh_ _gonna wipe that fuckin' smug look off her face!_ "You're the fuckin' clueless twat who drives me insane just by breathing on me, the gullible dumbass who kisses and touches like it's no big deal even when I feel like I'm 'bout to lose it! You **made** me fall in love with you whether I wanted to or not, you're the biggest fucking stupidest idiot of them all!" She stiffened and her eyes widened, _oh shit… What did I just say?_

"I made you fall? Are you hurt?"

"Ugh," Sera groaned and rested her forehead on the dalish elf's shoulder, _leave it to her to not get it. I don't know whether I'm happy 'bout that or annoyed._ "Forget it..."

"Ma'arlath," Ellana cupped the archer's chin and smiled warmly, "Just wanted to make sure you were alright first," she grinned when Sera huffed and shifted her gaze, "Look at me."

"Piss off."

"I promise you won't regret it." Lavellan chuckled when the city elf still refused and propped herself up on her elbows, she dove in to capture her lips but the elusive mouth moved away at the last second. Growling, she lowered and aimed for the junction between Sera's neck and shoulder, her sharp canines piercing flesh. The archer yelped and her mind completely blanked out at the mixture of pain and pleasure, her arms buckled on her yet she remained upright, supported by Ellana's hands. When the mage retracted her teeth she pressed her tongue against the wound, "You know," her whisper made Sera shiver, "I've seen the ugly parts of you, and I'm still staying. Know why?" To be honest, it was something Sera had occasionally wondered about and she nodded in her daze, her head guided by the warm hand in order to look at the affectionate grin plastered on the elven woman's face.

"Because I love you."

Sera's eyes widened and her heart immediately hammered erratically against her chest, Lavellan had said it so easily, nonchalant as if it was perfectly natural and obvious. _She gets… What that means… Right?_ "Ena," the archer croaked out, she had to confirm it, "Y-you know that… That-"

"I know."

"I don't get it…?" _Her eyes,_ Sera gulped, _they really look like she knows exactly what it means._

"How many times do I have to say it," Ellana grinned and pulled her for a tender kiss then whispered against her lips, "I told you..."

 ** _You're special to me._**

* * *

 **Through the Eyes of a Curious Child**

My brother told me once, "When you find someone who sees the fire in your eyes and wants to play with it, make sure you never let them go." I never understood and asked what he meant, he patted my head as he laughed. "You'll see it one day," he said, "More beautiful than all the stars that shine is the heart of a loving friend." I remember hearing that word often, 'love', but Hahren would never tell me what it meant, only that it carried immense weight and the elvhen equivalent was 'lath'.

"What is love, Samahl?"

"A single soul dwelling in two bodies," he replied easily, "It multiplies the good in life. It is someone who makes their problems your problems so you don't have to go through them alone."

"Isn't that a loving friend?"

"Yep."

"But what is love?"

Samahl sighed and ruffled my hair, "No one can define it. It's something so great not even the Creators can comprehend it," he chuckled when my jaw dropped in astonishment, "Love is beyond what we can define, for it is immortal, a divine gift."

"So how will I know if my friend loves me?"

"Hmm," he hummed thoughtfully and looked at the night sky, "They'll accept all your failures, stupidities, ugly points and still see perfection in imperfection itself. You'll do it too, and their happiness becomes more important than yours. When you know their weaknesses and flaws and accept them for who they are without judgment. Your hearts will be connected as one, and your heart will desire to be with them all the time. Vhenan'ara."

"How will I know how that feels?"

"You don't, everybody feels it differently and sometimes may never even know or realize it," he laughed at my grumpy pout, "Love is when two people touch each other's soul Ena. When you've done that, that's when you know someone is truly special to you. And if they're smart like me, they'll call you Ena too," he grinned when I punched him in the shoulder and rolled my eyes, "They will be the best friend that goes through thick and thin with you. They've lived your best and worst stories. No matter what the Keeper says they should be your bond-mate, not someone assigned to you if you're even allowed that."

My eyes widened with shock and my head whipped towards my brother, he laughed and ruffled my hair again. "You mean I can choose? What about my duty?"

"When you find this special someone Ena, and you feel strongly for them… They will become your new duty. To protect, to share, to make them laugh and more importantly to love unconditionally. Mamae would've wanted that for you."

"And how will I know they're special enough to become my new duty?" Samahl looked at me with a tired grin, he looked this way every time I had either asked too many questions but I wanted to know. Needed to really, and his answers so far were too confusing.

"The day your heart whispers ma emma sa'lath."

* * *

 **Through the Eyes of a Troubled Teenager**

As I grew older I pestered Hahren more and more about love when I'd hear others talk of it, to which she eventually told me to give up so I could focus on my studies. I had a duty, she explained, to guide the clan in the future and such foolish ideas would distract me and cloud my judgment. It would have been shameful for me to turn my back on that duty, especially if I were to claim a mate. The same day Hahren lectured me about my duty, the halla keeper and huntress-both females-announced they wanted to go through a rite to be bond-mates and Hahren exiled them from the clan. I never understood why, but I understood enough not to ask her about it anymore. It confused me when I had been punished for uttering their names, as they brought shame to the clan and I would too if I had ever followed their example.

The children I often played with when Samahl was out hunting taught me many things, things Hahren later lectured me for particularly when it came to displaying affection for one another. The more I learned the life my fellow clan mates lived, the more rebellious I was towards the Keeper. On one particular day, my curiosity on what others thought about this strange word, 'love', led me to ask the children.

"What is love?"

The youngest one, Nehn, stayed true to her name and was always a bundle of joy. She had the largest smile on her face and it was contagious, it was she who taught me about kissing the forehead. "Love is when a halla licks your face!" She yelled, and I chuckled to myself thinking that was no where near as dreamy as Samahl made it seem. Her next words made me stop and think to myself though, and decide she was in fact the smartest child in the clan. "Even after you left them alone all day!" The other children followed her example and all shouted out with pride and joy.

"When they're weird and you still like them!"

"When they're weird because of you!"

"When they play with you!"

"When they're weird with you!" This particular child had an obsession with weirdness it seemed.

One of the older children launched himself at my back and I laughed, he hooked his fingers at the corners of my mouth and pulled outwards, "Someone who makes you laugh when you don't want to smile!"

"When they think you're a good arrow even if the shaft's cracked!"

I rose my hands in surrender and tried to calm the children down, fat chance at that. I knew I was going to get lectured for this ruckus anyways, so I might as well make the most of it and have fun too. All I know is that whatever this love thing was that the clan mates made such a big fuss about, I too want to one day claim a bond-mate of my own. I long for the day my heart whispers those words, and when it does happen I pray to the Creators I will have the courage like the halla keeper and huntress. After all if love is powerful enough to not fear banishment and exile, then it must be worth it… Right?

That night I reluctantly got to work on my required readings, I vaguely remember skimming a passage in which the elvhen of old would use their own magic to figure out if the one they love was their bond-or in the case of the tome 'soul'-mate. I remember reading it all night and obsessing over the details but when morning came I oddly enough remembered none of the information. When I took a peek at the tome, the passage was gone.

* * *

"And how long did you know about this?" Sera choked out, still an incredulous look on her face. Her arms quivered and threatened to give out on her so she placed them on each side of the mage's head.

"Hmm… Don't know when exactly, I had begun wondering if it was love shortly before sealing the breach though."

"AND YOU DIDN'T THINK TO TELL ME?! This shit's important you half wit!"

"I did! Ma emma sa'lath remember?"

"I can't even remember what that means! You say elfy rubbish all the time!"

"You're my one love! Only love," Ellana groaned, "There's something else I need to confess but you have to promise me you won't kill me." _She saved herself and blew herself up in one friggin' sentence. Only her._

"No promises," Sera's eyes narrowed, "And I'll kill you anyways if you don't tell me." Lavellan propped herself higher to kiss the archer but was pushed back down, "You can't distract me either!"

"But you really will kill me!"

"Then it sounds like something I really ought to know!"

"But I wanna live so I can love you," Ellana said earnestly, "I want to find out what these urges mean before I die." She sighed when the archer glared warningly, for a moment she thought she really would get to live when the razor sharp slits softened at the word 'love'. "Okay, okay..." She steeled herself but her resolve faltered as soon as her lips parted, "Would you like a drink? I'll grab whatever you want at the-"

"JUST TELL ME BEFORE I SMACK YOU!"

"I've claimed you." The two stared at each other in silence for what seemed like hours before Sera huffed exasperatedly. _Is she gonna explain it or what?_ Her head dropped and shoulders slumped, all of this was draining the life out of her.

"And…?"

"And you're my bond-mate."

 _That word again…_ Something in Lavellan's tone told Sera this was incredibly important, but she still had no idea where the mage was going with this. "I give up luv, what the heck does it mean?" _Feels kinda awkward talking casually with my tits out, how the hell does she do it?_

"It means-" Ellana averted her gaze and she mumbled, "Well you know how I said I'm with you for life whether you like it or not? I meant it." _Okay…?_ The mage stole a glance and noted the confused look, she shifted uncomfortably and fumbled for a better explanation. "Remember how I said I'm your idiot?"

"Yeah?"

"Well now you're my idiot too."

"I'm not an idiot."

"But you're **mine**."

The longer the pause stretched as Sera stared blankly the more noticeable the mage's nervousness was. _Why's she scared?_ "Well… Yeah? I already knew this Ena, long time ago."

"Wait, what? Did Solas tell you then?!"

 _WHAT_ _._

"Hell no Baldy didn't say shi-" she froze at Ellana's panicked look, "Okay we're both clearly talking about two different things, so let's start from the top." _She looks like she's 'bout to pop a demon out her piss hole._

"After we dealt with Alexius, the night we spent in the inn? I didn't know how I did it or that I even was doing it but when my instincts guided me and I touched your face with my fire..."

"Oh yeah that, creepy shite. I wanted to bolt on outta there." If Sera thought the mage was nervous before, she was wrong. Ellana's eyes widened and shone bright with fear and uncertainty, _does she seriously think I'm gonna kill her?_ "Well, go on. I take it that meant somethin' important?"

"T-that's when I claimed you. Err... I accidentally performed a rite that basically proved we feel the same way for each other?" Lavellan smiled sheepishly, "I know you don't like elfy or spiritual stuff, but it also means that our souls are connected. Our hearts are now one. I would've harmed you with my fire if you hadn't felt the same as I do, but it worked a-and now you're my mate. For life."

"So..." Sera sighed and raked her hand through her hair, "This your elfy way of saying we're lovers?" The wide-eyed confused look made her sigh exasperatedly, "That's what more than best friends are called 'specially when we're sucking face almost every chance we get. Lovers. Why the heck are you so nervous? I still don't see what's wrong with this." _Actually wanna go out and fucking shout it on the friggin' balcony. Took her long enough to realize this shit._

"Because," Lavellan mumbled guiltily, "I took that choice away from you, I didn't ask for your permission if we-" she tilted her head in confusion when Sera bellowed out in laughter. She accidentally rolled off the bed but this didn't deter her, her ribs and lungs were what hurt most when she couldn't stop herself. _I take that back, she don't realize fuck all._

"Holy shit luv, how clueless are you?" Sera chuckled at the genuinely lost look in the coal eyes, she climbed back on the bed and crashed her lips against Ellana's, _this idiot, this fuckin' idiot. She even said so herself but she ain't listening to the words tumbling out her mouth._ "Think 'bout it. You said it'd hurt if I didn't feel the same way, right?" The mage nodded, Sera grinned as she waited for the gears to turn.

"Wait…"

"Yep."

"So then…?"

"Yep." _Do I_ _seriously_ _need to spell it out for her?_

"Then you…?"

"Yep." _Ugh, I do._ "Ena," she pushed the mage down on her back and straddled her hips, grinning as her lips hovered inches away. Her ears throbbed with warmth and her declaration in which she had planned on shouting to the world was deduced to a low mumble, "I... Love you too. Weirdo." _Feels fuckin' good to say it out loud._ When their mouths finally met and tongues took turns exploring rather than waging war for dominance, Lavellan's curious hands ran up and down the archer's sides. Their eyes communicated everything their mouths couldn't convey the true extent of: warmth, safety, and a sense of belonging. The city elf parted with a proud smirk on her face, "You were mine a long time ago, just didn't know it."

"Me or you?"

"Hah," Sera rewarded her with a peck on the forehead, "Smartass." She rolled her eyes when Ellana grinned, and when the mage looked down her stomach stirred. "Before you ask 'what's this feeling' I'm just gonna say we've been through this before. Staring at tits means-"

"Your heart," Lavellan interjected with amusement, "You said it yourself we've been through this before. I was staring at your heart back then and I still am now." _Oh right I forgot._ "It's beating so hard I can hear it." At that the archer was acutely aware to the thundering in her chest and the concern in the clouded coal eyes, she shook her head and grinned reassuringly.

"What can I say? My favorite thing is fire and I'm 'bout to have a load of it."

"That so?" The mage bumped her hips up and grabbed Sera's elbow, rolling them so that she was back on top. _She wasn't kidding when she said she likes the top huh?_ "I seem to remember your favorite thing was 'fucking demons with arrows'." _What the hell is with that memory of hers? She forgets everything BUT the shit I've said. Selective memory or somethin'?_ "Load of fire, I like the sound of that," Lavellan lowered and pressed her lips to the archer's stomach then trailed upwards before stopping just before her breasts. _Fuck! So close,_ Sera groaned and tried to ignore the ache between her thighs, the puffs of warm air hitting her skin made matters worse. "Sera?"

"W-what," she rasped out, _fuck me before I change my friggin' mind. Can't you figure that out already?_

"Every time I do this, you have a new smell. What is it?"

" **Shut up** , keep kissing, and you'll figure it out."

"I didn't figure it out before though. And we kiss all the time."

"That's because we didn't get this far! Fuck just," she rubbed her legs together in an attempt to appease the ache, "Keep kissing ye daft tit! Do whatever the hell you want!" Her body reacted to the tender touches, tentative licks, her mind was spiraling out of control and the inferno was consuming her. Despite not knowing what to do or rather what she was even doing, Ellana explored her curiosities and tasted every inch of the creamy skin with her tongue. As soon as Sera felt the searing mouth slide over her breasts, her breathing became rapid and shallow and self-control bid its farewell as it went on its merry way. When the mage's tongue circled around the areola and accidentally grazed her nipple with the sharp canines, her mind short-circuited and her lips parted as an involuntary moan escaped her throat. She barely managed to keep one conscious thought.

 _ **FINALLY**_ _._

 _Lower,_ Sera had actually prayed for once in her life, _touch lower._ Unfortunately, the mouth that was responsible for her bliss and vacation in heaven was a double edged sword. It'd send her straight to hell in a matter of seconds, "Sera?" _Fuck I really hate my name right now. Why can't she just_ _fuck_ _me?!_ "I still can't figure it out." _Oh for the fucking love of-UGH!_ With a huff she pushed the mage off of her, _I'm sick of this shit, enough is enough._ She pulled on Ellana's wrist to stand from the bed and glared at her.

"Listen to me, okay?" The mage nodded eagerly, "Strip. **NOW**." Lavellan hooked her hands under her shirt and deftly pulled it over her head, _fuck this seemed easier to do in my mind…_ Sera gaped and her throat felt dry, she steeled herself and clenched her fists, _we both want this, she just doesn't know better. Yet._ The mage stood comfortably in all her naked glory and looked at Sera, confused. _Gotta remember to be careful with her stomach. Hope I won't lose it on her._

"I don't understand how this helps me figu- _wah_!" Sera pushed her back on the bed and grinned mischievously, _she didn't look at me at the lake because she didn't know better… But how about now?_ She noted how the coal eyes would occasionally dip lower before darting back up to her face, _she don't get why, only that she does._ Her own resolve was teetering on a see-saw, the angel and devil voices bickering in her head. _It's reason enough to feel, innit? She'd do this if she knew 'bout it._ Ellana didn't stay in her position for long and scooted to the edge of the bed, _the heck is she doing?_

"Ena?"

"Not fair," _what?_ Lavellan pulled the archer closer until she stood directly in front of the mage, _she just gonna stare at my stomach all day? Weirdo,_ before Sera could react the mage nodded for some reason and then hooked her thumbs at Sera's waistband. _What the-_ she hissed when intense heat radiated from the thumbs but oddly enough it didn't sting. When she looked down her eyes widened, _did she just seriously…?_ The waistband was burnt off and the uniform pants slid down, though this still didn't satisfy the dalish woman apparently. Sera had been absolutely speechless, she had no idea what to say to the furious mage that for some reason  really hated her pants. Or what was left of them now. Ellana cackled evilly as she bunched up the fabric and set it ablaze, the ball of flame lit up her face and made her look… Well, the archer thought it was kind of sexy in it's own weird way. Anybody else would think the elven woman was scary and off her rocker. "Give me the rest."

"Luv I know you said you didn't like clothes, but don't you think-"

"No more evidence, I don't want anything to remind me about the Game. Can you pass my uniform too?" _Leave it to her to totally kill the mood just so she can play with fire. Fuck my life._ Sera sighed and padded over to collect the mage's uniform, then playfully tossed it in her face. _Yeah, eat it!_ She gawked in disbelief when Ellana made no move to remove the clothing sticking to her face… And instead set it ablaze right then and there. _What the fuck?! How weird can she be, who the fu-what-oh my… WHAT THE FUCK?!_ She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed when the abnormally-excited-mage had laughed beneath the flames, the rush of air blew the fire forward and Sera dove out the way.

"ENA! Quit laughing before you set this whole friggin' fortress tits up in flames!" _I was fucking joking when I called her fire-breather! This ain't normal! Dammit how am I supposed to get her-_

 ** _You know, once you told me to pay close attention, believe it or not I did._**

 _That's it!_ "Ena! Pay close attention to me right now!" Sera smirked in triumph when the flames immediately extinguished and the mage threw down what little was left of the fabric on the floor, her eyes eager and curious. _Damn, worked like a charm. Havta remember that,_ the archer stood in front of Ellana and tried to calm her thundering heart as she gazed at the coal eyes, _let's try this again. Hopefully I'll only havta teach once and she'll pick up on it like everything else. Otherwise this gonna be a looooong night._ She rested her palms on the mage's shoulders and was about to push her down the bed, but she was petrified in her spot. Lavellan's eyes had dilated and changed into something she's never seen before, something more than desire or warmth and it had intensified the aches and urges.

Feral.

Before she could react the world spun around her and she landed on her back, her mind immediately overpowered by the thick haze of pleasure and lust as sparks shot though her. The molten hot mouth came back to assault her senses and she looked down in her daze, groaning when sharp canines nipped her too roughly. _When I said pay close attention to me I didn't mean this!_ "E-Ena," _fuck, what's going on?!_ Said woman growled ferociously and spoke between kisses.

"Your **scent** ," Ellana's tone had taken on its hoarse timbre and the archer's arousal had become borderline painful, "It's driving me fucking **insane** , and now I know where it's coming from." _What?!_ The mage trailed down Sera's stomach and her chest felt like it was going to explode with anticipation, shock, and irrational fears. Lavellan didn't give her time to react or respond, the smell guided her lower and she gritted her teeth when she parted the archer's legs. " **Fenedhis** , Sera why did you hide this from me?" _Is she_ _seriously_ _getting mad about this shit right now?!_

"Shut up," the sexual frustration had crushed her patience into nothing, she yanked Ellana upwards and smashed their mouths together. She smirked when she sucked on the bottom lip, swallowing the mixture of moan and gasp from the elven woman. Every time the mage attempted to pull away and travel lower, Sera tightened her grip on her head and forced her to stay. _Nah yer not gonna get it easily. You're going to suffer_ _just_ _like I did first._ Their passionate exchange as they battled for dominance made the archer feel dizzy and lightheaded, the room had turned into a damn near sauna and sweat cloaked every inch of her skin. When she was certain the dalish elf wouldn't escape, she relinquished her hold and her hands slid lower, cupping and kneading the breasts that teased and tortured her daily. She just wasn't sure if it was her or the mage that groaned, _fucking finally. Just… Finally. All this time of her strutting 'bout with these babies screamin' at me to touch 'em and now, now?_

 _ **FINALLY**_ _._

 _And it better fucking stay that way, if she stops one more time I'm knocking her the fuck out and having my way with her. Not waiting anymore, fuck morals!_ Her judgment clouded and mind blanketed in a thick fog as if she had been drunk, she barely registered that the pressure on her lips disappeared. Scorching hands left a trail of fire in their wake and ignited every single one of Sera's nerves, every part of her felt invigorated and alive. Lips ghosted around in a frantic manner as if the mage had been in a hurry to explore everything, she growled and seemingly got irritated with the archer's ministrations. Grabbing Sera's wrists and pulling them above her head, the two shared a silent and heated war with their eyes. The city elf smirked at Ellana's obvious frustration, _now you know how I felt every time you drove_ _me_ _insane, ohhh I just know how to rub it in too._ "Is something wrong, Ena?" She asked as innocently as possible, "It's happening again, what is this? This  feeling," she grinned when the dilated coal eyes flashed, the animalistic desire mixed with anger oddly enough wasn't scary.

In fact it was the complete opposite.

Victory was bittersweet and short-lived however, Sera's throat was caught in between a pained gasp and pleasurable moan when the mage assaulted her neck with rougher bites. _Why the fuck is she obsessed with my neck? Shit I bet it's gonna be purple tomorrow._ Ellana had moved up, unaware that she had tucked her knee in the junction of the archer's thighs so that every time she went to capture Sera's lips, the knee pressed harder and made the archer's mind blank out. It didn't take long for the elven woman to notice the slick feeling and she looked down, her features contorted and multiple emotions flashed by her eyes when she inhaled. _Fucking_ _hot_ _in every single way, never seen her struggle so hard with control._ In all her relationships, Sera had gotten used to being the dominate lover and a good fuck was only determined with skill and experience. Now? With the way the uncontrollable wildfire engulfed her she was beginning to see-and feel of course-how much better passion was over skill. It hadn't mattered when Lavellan explored and focused on areas that didn't do anything physically-or rather shouldn't have but each caress, breath, and kiss affected her in ways she couldn't even imagine in her wildest dreams.

Overwhelming pressure was building at the pits of her stomach and her moans were all but devoured by the inferno consuming her. She clutched the mage's shoulders and squeezed so hard her fingernails accidentally drew blood, _she's going to-fuck!_ Her body had been wracked by sparks, shivers and flames, it's as if her mind just didn't know what the hell to make of these sensations anymore. Every time the knee roughly pressed against her, her back arched and the feral dalish elf growled when her nails dug in deeper. Shallow breathing, grunts and shocked gasps, groans and moans echoed in the chambers and soon light buzzing settled in Sera's ears. Pure white periodically blinded her every time powerful electricity coursed her veins, _she's gonna make me lose it if she keeps this up._ Guilt gnawed on the edges of her consciousness. She had wanted to guide Ellana through this, to be the one that gave her the best experience of her life and yet here she was, writhing and greedily enjoying  everything the mage was doing.

A disappointed whimper escaped her lips when the knee left, and it was then she realized the searing mouth had also decided to move on. _W-where…?_ She rose her head to look down and her eyes widened at the erotic sight of the mage comfortably settled in between her legs like it was the most natural place to be in the world, "Fuck Ena wai- _shit_!" Lavellan experimentally dragged her tongue up the wet slit and groaned in content, the vibrations alone threatened to push Sera over the edge. _What the fuck is with this?! This has_ _gotta_ _be a friggin' dream, ain't no way_ \- " **Fuck** ," she seethed, "Ena yer drivin' me _nuts_." The sadistic chuckles told the archer that Ellana had approved, _she's torturing me and likes it?!_ Her back arched and hips involuntarily bucked until the frustrated elven woman decided to hold her hips down, Sera wove her fingers in her own hair and pressed her palms against her eyes as wave after wave of pleasure assaulted her senses. _Been dreaming forever that she'd do this to me and it's fucking happening, just like that,_ another guttural moan bubbled in her throat and she heard a growl in response, _exactly like the dreams. But a million times better._ Part of her still expected the mage to ruin the mood and ask about the peculiar taste or smell, or why Sera had been making so much noise and writhing uncontrollably, since after all that also happened in the dreams. _If she does, I'm killing her. I swear on her elfy whatevers that I'm killing her._

Tremors seized her muscles and the blinding white happened more frequently, the archer bucked her hips and groaned, _so fucking close._ Lavellan's lack of experience apparently only meant that orgasms would happen quickly and unintentionally, and here Sera thought they wouldn't happen at all-especially when she half expected and prepared herself to point and be like 'and that's called the clit, ye daft tit'. At that thought she chuckled then gasped and cussed loudly when she felt sharp canines graze said anatomy. _Didn't think my scent would turn her on this much,_ her eyes shot open then squeezed shut as the unbearable pleasure rolled through her, _is she even thinking anymore?_ When her mind hadn't short-circuited, the feral dilated eyes bounced around. Despite being even darker, it somehow made the tiny amber specks glow brighter and stand out more. Sera grinned before arching her back and moaning when the pressure threatened to release at every flick of the molten tongue, _nah not just glowy specks._ Her hands flew to the sheets and she clutched them tightly as she prepared to relinquish control of her body, _fire. That's fire right in her eyes. Figures._

" _Fuck_ , Ena! I'm about to-" she shouted profanities as wave after wave of intense pleasure wracked her mind and made every muscle seize up then twitch. For a moment she had panicked thinking she literally was on fire before relaxing and willingly jumped in, knowing Ellana would keep her safe. Conscious thought flew out and her body slackened, all tension released and with it all that pent up sexual frustration that built up ever since the elven woman came into her life. Sleep heavily tugged on her mind and she chuckled tiredly, _and it all started when she touched a dildo, hah! Can't wait to see the look on her face when she finds out it ain't a club._ Despite coming down from her high her stomach churned pleasantly again, _or when she finds out how to use it…_ Her head rose to look down, _fuck she's still-_ "E- _nah shit_ ," she fell back against the pillows with a soft thud. _She's still going, course she is she doesn't frigging know 'bout orgasms._ Her hip jerked involuntarily and she yelped, _shit really sensitive now,_ "S-stop, this hurts." At that the mage froze immediately and her head shot up, the dilated eyes swirled and the feral glint battled with concern. Something about the look had been both frightening and erotic, Sera couldn't make up her mind until her body did for her as it hummed with delight. She reached out, "C'mere," breathless and wanting nothing more than to curl up and sleep, she knew she had to hold on for just a few minutes longer lest the elven woman panic with worry.

"When I," Lavellan hesitantly clambered up and glanced down the city elf's body, "When I did that, it hurt?" Guilt and concern were now heavily etched in her coal eyes and hoarse voice, "Ir abelas, I don't know what came over me and I-" Sera placed her finger on the mage's lips, _this is gonna take a while to teach her what the hell that all meant._

"It felt fucking amazing, but do it too long and it starts to hurt. I'll explain more later but," she patted the spot beside her, "Got nothing left, needa sleep for a bit." Ellana nodded and lowered to kiss her with lightly coated lips, _shit never kissed someone after they've gone down,_ her eyebrows furrowed, _this is what drove her nuts? Tastes kinda weird_ , the mage nudged her to lay on her side and tucked so closely behind Sera thought they were going to merge, the warm arm draped around her waist. _Seriously?_ The knuckles came back to tease the underside of her breasts and she felt heat pool at her core once again, but all the sexual tension was blown away by the same mouth responsible for her blissful afterglow.

"Best food I've ever tasted."

" **I AIN'T FOOD YE DAFT TIT** **!** "

And thus Sera's vacation in heaven ended prematurely.


	20. Tenacious Trust

**Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!**

 **AN** **:** I hope you guys like drums because a wild party is coming when the Inquisitor does things  her way to celebrate one of the upcoming Theodesian holidays! A little down time to relax before shit hits the fan at Adamant Fortress :) Thanks for all your support and kind words Nyx, it definitely boosted me up. Also, thanks for everyone who's chosen to favorite/follow, pretty awesome to know people like the story! And last but not least, sorry for the late chapter. The song Ellana hums is none other than "Sera Was Never" which is why the archer reacts the way she does :P

 **Warning:** First part of the chapter is not entirely pretty, if you dislike the aspect of Lavellan having a 'darker' side (yes, even more so than when she busts out in flames of anger) then I suggest you scroll to the point until you find the bolded line that says "In that case I'm glad it's your fire". However, certain lines that trigger later events may not make sense so it's up to you.

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _'_ _Ma vhenan:_ My heart (emma shortened to 'ma, ma=you, 'ma=me/my/I)

 _Atisha:_ Peace/Peaceful

 _Durgen'len:_ Children of the Stone (Dwarves)

* * *

 **Tenacious Strength**

* * *

Roused by strange noises and peculiar thuds, Sera's instincts politely ask her to open her eyes to check if she's in any danger. _Piss off,_ she mentally grumbles and turns over on her other side, _Ena'll beat up whatever's stupid enough to attack us._ Courtesy of her body who respectfully informed her she was shivering because she was without her portable campfire, the archer groans and curls into a ball, _shut it. I ain't getting up._ And so, instead, her mind rudely lectured her about the consequences of not getting her ass out of bed. _Don't_ _._ _Care_ _._ She sighed frustratedly as she tried to drift back to sleep but the strange noises had gotten louder and more frequent. "UGH FINE I'M UP!" She shot up and glared around the room to find the source of the disruption so that she could throttle it with the poultice bowl beside her. When her eyes fell on Ellana she groaned, "Why am I not surprised?" _So_ _tempted to throw this fuckin' bowl still._ Something felt amiss, and she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was really wrong. _The fuck? That's really weird._ She looked around the room and noted how the mage waited  patiently before their eyes met.

"About what?" Lavellan set aside the djembe and rose from the couch, smiling coyly as she strode to Sera. She leaned over and placed one hand on the bed, lowering to kiss the archer who huffed and quickly rolled away from her.

"Go 'way. I'm sleeping."

"Aw don't be like that! Just one kiss?" _Bet she's usin' her friggin' puppy eyes too. Not fallin' for it anymore!_

"No! Sleepin'!" Sera rotated her torso and scowled at the too-energetic-for-the-fucking-morning-mage, "And get yer ass back in here. I'm cold." _Sun's just starting to rise, is she fuckin' nuts? Who the hell gets up this early?_

"As you desire," _actin' weirder than usual too._ Lavellan chuckled as she slid under the covers and hugged as tightly as she could, "I'm sorry if I woke you, had an urge to play." _I'll let it slide for now._

"That what all that thudding and thumping was? The hell were you hitting anyways?"The archer sighed in content at the embrace, and waited patiently for the warmth to seep in to her muscles. _Taking longer than usual, must be really cold this morning,_ she sniffled, _how does she sleep up here?_

"A drum."

"Oh the one ya stole from the bard?"

"I didn't steal it," Ellana quietly mumbled and pouted, "I'm borrowing it."

"Oh, yeah? Does she know that?" There was a long pause and the archer grinned as the silence stretched. _She's too honest, can't lie worth crap._

"...Yes." _That screams no._

"Really? You sure?"

"Yep, really sure!" _Even babies lie better._

"Nice try luv, but not even a lil kid's gonna believe ya."

"Anyways," _she's so obvious when she switches like this, whoever taught her 'bout distraction was piss poor at it themselves._ "When will we be getting up?"

"You just got in here! And yer staying in here!"

"But I wanna get up! Come on let's do something fun."

" **NO**!" _Fuck is this what every morning's gonna look like if I sleep here? Fuck that I'm staying at the tavern._

"Please?"

"No."

"I'll get you up one way or another Sera~," something about the mage's tone made her hip involuntary shift and heat pool between her thighs, _now she's teasing and she don't even know it. Probably means something lame like tickling too._ Ellana froze momentarily then relaxed, "Hey," she whispered directly against Sera's ear and a shudder rolled through her body. _Fuck, maybe last night-_ a finger traced lazy circles along her stomach- _got through her thick head?_ "While Josephine and the others aren't back yet..." Bitterness welled up in the archer at the mention of the Ambassador's name, _when she does come back I'm makin' sure_ _everyone_ _knows Ena is_ _mine_ _._ "You think I could go for a run on the battlements?"

"Uh, yeah? Why wouldn't you-"

"Naked."

" **HELL NO YE DAFT TIT**!" Sera forcefully turned in the tight embrace, "Listen to me, no more strippin' like it's the fuckin' desert here. Even if a dragon breathes fire at us you better have yer friggin' clothes on. I don't want nobody seeing you naked. That's for my eyes only, understand?" _What kind of fucking question is that, seriously?! Who the fuck DOES that?!_

"But I haven't in a really long time and-" the mage gulped at the angry glare, "Understood ma'am." She shifted her gaze and mumbled, "Can I at least do it the next time we're in a forest?" _I will never understand her elfy frolicky shit,_ Sera sighed. _Plus that sounded wrong._

"Only if I'm the one that sees you, nobody else. Got it?" _How'm I supposta explain I don't share?_

"What about the animals?"

"I'll cover their eyes." The two stared at each other incredulously before bursting into laughter, "Fuck luv it's too early for this shit. Now I'm goin' crazy like you." _Playing peek-a-boo with a fuckin' nug, messed up images._

"Who says you aren't already crazy?"

"Nuh uh, you drive me crazy all the time which means yer off the fuckin' rocker nuts. Lucky you got me, know that? Betcha you wouldn't be able to find anyone who'd put up with all yer weirdness."

"It's because you like my weirdness that you put up with me," Lavellan grinned cockily, _love, not like, and I never seen that look on her face before._ "And that's only because you're weirder than me."

"What?! Hell no you're the weirdest weirdo, weirdie!"

"I can't be the weirdest weirdo if I'm the stupidest idiot!"

"Congrats, yer so special you're both."

"Dunno if I should be happy or sad," her smile grew when Sera laughed and patted her cheek, "Made you laugh. Can I get a kiss now?"

"Don't gotta ask for permission," the archer gave her a brief peck then stared at the coal eyes that oddly enough swirled with… Surprisingly little emotion. "Do whatever you want. Ya usually do most of the time anyways, even if you ask you take. Ever hear me complain?" The mage shook her head, "Exactly." _Wonder why she even bothered asking, don't she know I trust her now?_ It didn't take long to notice the curiosity hidden in the depths of the dull amber specks, _here we go, we're gonna fuckin' play Twenty Questions 'bout last night. There goes sleeping in._

"Can you..." Lavellan trailed off hesitantly and shifted her gaze, _she nervous 'bout asking? That's weird even for her,_ "Stay here every night?"

 _What_ _._

The longer the silence stretched the more nervous Ellana seemed, _is she… Serious? She's wondering 'bout that and not last night?_ "There a reason why yer askin'?" _Maybe that's her roundabout way of wanting it every night,_ Sera grinned, _atta girl, knew you'd come 'round! Hehehe two meanings._

"Well when we sleep together," the mage looked back at her, "I sleep better." _That's… It?_ Sera didn't know whether to laugh or cry especially when Lavellan didn't seem like she was going to elaborate, _that's it. Seriously?_ As if sensing the impending doom the elven woman sheepishly scratched the side of her head and mumbled, "I dream of you when you're beside me, you drive the demons away. And when I wake up I get to see a different side of you nobody else does," her eyes flashed with the familiar feral glint, "Like last night." _Well, she saved herself. Now just gotta wait for her to blow herself up again._

Despite that, the archer couldn't help the way her stomach buzzed and the dull ache that settled in between her thighs just from the hungry look in Ellana's eyes. Their proximity and state of undress made matters worse, and the more her senses became acutely aware of their positions the more she could feel her control slipping away. Something in the mage's speech nagged her and struck her as worrisome, but the fog enveloping her mind made it difficult to think. So, instead, she answered the only way she could at the moment.

Kiss.

Well to be precise it's more like crashing mouths and battling for dominance, but kiss just sounds more romantic. Which is not reaaaally these two. Yet. The moment Sera dipped her tongue in the crevice of the elven woman's mouth, every nerve was set ablaze when Lavellan had reciprocated in turn. _If_ _this_ _is what happens every morning then I'm definitely staying,_ the half-lidded clouded feral eyes remained locked on her, _it's my turn to show her what she's been missing all her life,_ her ears throbbed with warmth, _just like how she did for me._ "Sera, does this mea-"

"Shut up," the archer breathed, "This first," she kicked the sheets off and straddled Ellana's thighs, "You had your fun last night. Now it's my turn," without giving her time to ask or react, Sera lowered and trailed her tongue beside the stitches. The mage cried out in surprise and tried to sit up before being pushed back down, "I said it's my turn, Ena."

"I need to-"

"Relax." Sera sighed and stopped what she was doing so she could look at the stubborn woman, "Ena. It'll help you understand 'bout last night, alright? Just relax and let me show you." _Do I needa tie her down or somethin'? Kinky, but she'd just burn it off. Well shit there goes that idea…_ When Ellana tried to sit up again, all the archer had to do was glare warningly and she was immediately on her back of her own accord.

"You're scary when you're mad."

"That's coming from **you**?" Sera scoffed playfully then leaned down to lick the other side of the stitches, eyes dancing with amusement at the mage's hitched breath and the way her hips involuntarily shifted. "First of all, you fought with a fucking dragon and-"

"And you're scarier."

"WHAT?!" The archer shot up, "Yer sayin' I'm worse than a fucking DRAGON?!"

"Yes. Actually right now," Lavellan mumbled, "You're scarier than Keeper Istim..." The mage oddly trailed off and the archer realized she had blanked out for a moment, "...That's **scary**." _What the hell was that?_ She noticed that the tanned elf had actually looked pale. Ellana glanced down at her stomach then back up at the confused city elf, "Can you do that again? It felt good." _She's got some fuckin' nerve asking that after saying I'm worse than a dragon._

"Hell no!" Sera huffed, "And don't gimme-" it was the puppy look again. "No. I'm not budging." _Plus this is really fucking weird that she's lookin' all cute just to get frigged. Somethin' wrong with that there._ When the mage rose her thighs a little and back down, Sera looked at her confused. There was a mischievous glint in the coal eyes and Ellana smiled as if she had done something incredibly clever, _the hell was that about?_ The archer shrugged, "Okay I give up, what was that for?"

"You budged."

"What?" The mage flexed her thighs and made Sera sway just a tiny bit, _oh my fucking…_ She huffed exasperatedly and her head hung low, "Aren't you a smart cookie," she mumbled sarcastically. When Lavellan rose her thighs again, sparks shot through the city elf and her lips parted in an involuntary moan. " _Fuck_ ," Sera whispered and glanced down, _how the fuck did I forget I was naked? She's rubbing off on me. Hehe,_ she smirked to herself, _two meanings._ When she looked back up she froze, _oh shit,_ the dilated feral eyes were back, and Ellana growled as she swiftly bumped the archer off her then rolled on top. _Not this again, I was supposta-_ "Shit! Ena wait," her head subconsciously tilted to expose her neck more to the hungry lips that latched on. " _Ow-_ fuck wait, wait, wait!" She winced and grimaced, _neck's gotta be friggin' purple if it hurts this much,_ "Stop Ena!" She gripped the mage's shoulders and tried to push her off with all her strength, _what the hell is she made out of?!_

"I'm not budging," Ellana chuckled hoarsely and dragged her tongue across to the other side of the archer's throat, "It's that smell again..." _What the fuck is wrong with her? Ain't normal to be this gone,_ a mixture of a yelp and moan tore from her lips when she felt sharp canines sink into the fleshy part where her neck and shoulder met. _Fuck, that's my bad shoulder!_ When the mage roughly retracted she stared at Sera and grinned wolfishly, the blood staining her teeth had been downright frightening. _She's not there anymore, that's not her,_ her eyes widened, _she's like a rabid fucking animal._ Despite that, her ache had actually intensified and she was turned on by the aspect of the mage caving in to her darker primal urges, "Like this, do you?" The archer squeezed her eyes shut, _no this isn't her at all anymore,_ fear welled up in her chest when the voice usually filled with passion and warmth had been devoid of emotion and was now sadistic, callous. _It's not her, Ena would never sound like this._

"Stop, Ena," Sera's voice cracked and tears stung the corners of her eyes when the elven woman had roughly nipped her again, _her hands aren't warm,_ "This hurts," the comfort and security she always felt in the mage's presence had been completely eradicated as if it never existed. When she felt the cold hand travel lower she braced herself, _she'd never do this,_ she bit her lip, "Stop." _She'll break if she knows she hurt me by accident,_ "Ena!" _I_ _have_ _to make her snap out of it,_ "Look at me!" She stiffened when the pure black eyes bore into her, _there's no fire,_ "Tell me what the fuck is going on, what are you doing?" For some reason she could hear Dorian at the back of her mind as well, _is this what he meant? What he tried to warn me 'bout?_

 **It means that her fire can consume her.**

"Isn't it obvious?" Lavellan grinned and lowered, "I'm giving you what your body wants."

"It's not what I want!"

"Then you wouldn't smell this way. Almost like you're begging to be touched… Mmm I like the idea of you **begging**. And you still want it. Didn't you say I could do whatever I wanted? That I can just take without asking?"

"Shut up and get off! I'd never beg and I didn't mean this! The fuck is wrong with you seriously?" When she struggled again the mage deftly pinned her wrists above her head and laughed sadistically, the hand traveled lower and roughly thrust inside. _This isn't her,_ Sera's back arched and muscles contracted to the sudden intrusion, part of her felt disgusted that the pleasurable sparks still coursed through her. _It won't feel so bad if I imagine it is her though,_ she chewed her lip and refused to utter any noises, when Ellana goaded her she glared without restraint.

 **If pushed past that limit she may never come back.**

"It's so easy to tell you're enjoying this, just look at how wet you are and I've barely done anything." _Shut the fuck up!_ "Isn't this what you always wanted me to do?" Lavellan leaned in and captured her mouth, plunging her tongue inside and yelping when the archer bit it. _Eat it bitch!_ "Well you're certainly wild now, aren't you? Tell me, Sera," the pure black eyes came closer, "Isn't this what you wanted me to do? To **fuck** you like an animal," a beastly grin swept her features at the shocked look in the archer's eyes. _What happened to being fucking clueless?!_ "Did you  really think I didn't know? And you called me the idiot."

"Fuck you! I'll-" she screamed when the fingers inside of her curled and pulled outwards, the callous chuckles echoed in her ears as the pressure rapidly rose at the pits of her stomach. _Fuck this is bullshit, I don't want this!_ Frustration welled up when her struggles proved to be futile, the dam broke and the tears flowed freely down her cheeks. She felt repulsed by the tongue that slid up and lapped up the salty drops, and despite all of this her body still responded to the touches. _What the fuck is wrong with_ _me_ _?!_ "You're not Ena," she whispered in desperation, "She'd never do this."

 **You've seen her cruelty when she's angry. Who's to say it wouldn't happen with lust?**

"You should know me by now, Sera." The archer refused to believe the woman above her was Ellana, _no matter what even if she was pissed she was never like this._ She squeezed her eyes shut the closer she got to her release, _this isn't her, I know for a fact she would rather die than do this._

 **What makes you so sure of that?**

 _Because I would do the same for her,_ she opened her eyes and glared at Lavellan, "And we feel the same way." _This isn't real, can't be. Ena'd never do this and I know it._

"Who are you trying to fool? You're right, we feel the same way and all we want is to fuck. Sacrifice? To die for each other? What idiot gave you that idea? You know better than anyone else in the world that trusting someone will always get you burned."

Sera grinned, _got you mother fucker,_ her grin grew when the imposter's eyes widened in panic, "I never said that out loud." Her eyes snapped open and she was greeted by darkness, fear gripped her heart until she realized that the imposter was gone and steady breathing puffed at her ear. She looked to the right and was confused to see Ellana sleeping away on her side, her lips slightly parted with drool trickling down the corner. _So that was all a dream,_ she let out a sigh of relief, _what the fuck was that for? That was fucked up…_ She rose her head and noted that the sun hadn't even begun to rise yet, _before 5 then. Shit that all felt so real too, I liked the sex dreams where Ena is a friggin' weird idiot. Remember that next time, you fucked up dreamland._ Her lips curled into a subtle smirk when a soft snore rang out beside her and she looked again, _that's right…_ She leaned forward and gave a soft peck on the elven woman's forehead, grinning when she mumbled incoherently. _Trusting someone will get you burned._ Scooting closer and turning around, she reaches over to grab the warm arm and drapes it over her waist as she tucks herself in Lavellan's embrace. As she drifted off in peaceful slumber her lips spread in a content smile, remembering the  real mage's words.

 **In that case I'm glad it's your fire.**

* * *

Stirred awake by the bright morning light, Sera groans and shields her eyes with her forearm, "No… Come on not yet..." _Fuck I'm right at the top, in my room still got lotsa time before the sun makes it over the fortress._ Her lips curled into a subtle smirk when a familiar smell filtered in her nose, _ash and wood._ The smell got closer and feet padded quietly, the bed groaned at the weight and her smirk grew into a lopsided grin when she felt warm lips press on her forehead then light kisses along the inner side of her forearm blocking her eyes. "Thought you said that kiss is to help sleep?" _Wakin' me up instead._

"Exactly why I'm doing it 'ma vhenan," replied the soothing voice, "I enjoy watching you sleep. Atisha, and I wish to watch some more."

"Pervert," Sera snickered when she could _hear_ the mage's eyebrows furrow in confusion, "Most people would be creeped out by that." _The heck's veh nawn and atishah mean again? Shit I'm gonna needa start writing or somethin' to keep track of her elfy rubbish._

"Are you?"

 _Nervous 'bout that huh?_ "Nah I don't really care but if yer gonna do that at least keep me warm so you can watch me longer, yeah?" She unblocked her eyes and her heart squeezed at the look of sincere joy, _doesn't take much to make her happy does it?_ Her gaze fell lower and disappointment welled up in her, "Yer dressed."

"It's time for training soon," Ellana slid on the bed and motioned for the archer to roll on her side then tucked behind, "Did you sleep well?" Memories of the twisted dream came crashing down and Sera tensed, the elven woman tenderly pressed her lips to the back of Sera's neck, "Bad dream?" _That's an understatement._ The archer shook her head and remained silent, "Sera, I can smell your fear so you can't lie." _What the hell am I supposta tell you ye daft tit? You wouldn't friggin' understand!_

"Don't you have to go train?"

"I'm not leaving until you tell me what's wrong." _Ugh of all friggin' times to be stubborn._

"Look, you won't get it even if-"

"Try me. Maybe I might."

"Yeah, you've got a better shot at kicking a dragon's ass." Sera groaned when she felt the lips on her neck spread in a grin, _course she'd like that._ "Do you even get what the fuck happened last night?"

"Not really, but you said you'd explain it."

"Exactly, so you won't get my dream."

"So you… Dreamed about last night then?" The husky tone made the dull ache surface once again and the archer sighed frustratedly, _am I seriously gonna get turned on every time just coz she sounds like that?_ "Does that mean then," Ellana breathed shakily, "If it was a scary dream, was last night scary too?"

"No ye daft tit I already said it felt amazing, but this dream was fucked up-look," Sera turned in the embrace and winced at her sore neck, _gonna be feeling that for a couple days._ "I'm still trying to think of how the hell I can explain it in a way you'd get it." _You learn fast when somebody shows you and that ain't a freaking option right now._ "I'll have an answer for ya tonight, alright?" The mage nodded and relief filled her, she gave a quick peck on the lips and patted Ellana's cheek, "Alright. Go on then got some training to do yeah?"

"Can you come with me?"

"What? No way I'd be bored out my bloody mind."

"You could train with me then, it's fun!"

"Tch yeah fun for you, broken bones sounds shitty to me," Sera's eyes glanced down then back up, "Your stomach-"

"You could help me be careful."

"Pullin' out all sortsa excuses until I come aren'tcha? Alright," she grumbled and rolled over to scoot out of bed, "Got spare clothes? I ain't a freaking nudist like you."

"You can have mine."

"And you ain't a freaking nudist anymore **either**!" _Damn that part of the dream wasn't totally fucked up, least my brain got it half-right._ She huffed and crossed my arms, "Can ya grab some from my room? Should have something laying 'round." _Think I'm gonna needa stock up on shit I can wear before she burns it._ The mage nodded and went towards the outdoor balcony, "Uh luv? Wrong way, your door's the oth-..." Ellana braced her palm on the railing and casually jumped over, the archer stood there, eyes blinking and mind blank. When the shock wore off she snapped when realization and fear settled in.

 _WHAT THE FUCK IS SHE DOING?!_ Sera sprinted towards the balcony and cursed at the unbearably chilling air, eyes widened when she saw the dalish elf scale the wall as if it was no big deal. "Are you fucking insane?! You'll kill yourself!" Lavellan stopped and looked over, from the distance the archer could see her shrug and her temper flared when the mage waved back excitedly, "You dumbass you'll fall like that!" Her heart leapt to her throat and she was ready to climb just so she could go strangle the woman before she died of her heart attack or fall to her death. Ellana shouted back, the archer pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. Her lips curled into a soft smirk when familiar words traveled through the wind and to her ears.

"It's not a problem!"

* * *

 _It's a problem now._ Rushing into Sera's room, the mage gaped in shock, "How's she want me to find anything in here?" _And I thought I was messy._ Careful not to trip on the multiple empty bottles, scattered arrows, or weird looking objects, Ellana searched high and low for something that seemed like it could be worn. _It's worse than when I was last in here,_ her eyes fell on the shelf in the corner and out of curiosity she went to snoop, _I remember she kept looking over here too, I think…_ "Creators, what doesn't she have in this room?" She froze when she noticed a particular object and gingerly lifted to inspect it, "Why does she have this?"

A statue of a halla carved out of wood by a practiced hand it seems. _Whoever did this had patience and knows how to work wood,_ she turned it over and a hopeful notion bounced around in her head before she chuckled to herself and shook her head. _No way Sera would have done this, first of all she hates anything elvhen, has as much patience as I do and… Well she's good with knives._ As she smoothed her thumb over the halla's eyes she couldn't help but entertain the idea when she felt something resonate and speak to her, _this energy… Something tells me it's her handiwork._ Excitement filled her with the idea and she couldn't wait any longer, her head whipped around and she decided to take the Inquisition drapes behind the shelf.

Running back as fast as she could she waved excitedly to the Inquisition soldiers who now waved back with just as much enthusiasm or gave a thumbs up while grinning or laughing. _MUCH_ _better than saluting!_ When she first accepted the role of Inquisitor much of her time was spent spreading word not to be so formal with her just so she wouldn't feel weird. She smiled fondly at the memory when she had explained it to Josephine and Leliana who insisted the soldiers pay their respects. "In our clan everybody knew each other, we were family." Her eyes lit up despite the advisor's confused looks, "This is my clan, my new family. Each person regardless of what they look like is my brother and my sister." Though terrible with names, she remembered faces and had a nickname associated with that face. Unfortunately the hardest were the durgen'len, for 'Beardy' and 'Hairy' fit most if not all of them.

Before sprinting to her quarters she went to check if Solas was back and quickly informed him that she was going to put off meditation for the morning, then left as fast as she came. She heard his faint chuckle and quiet mutters about a tornado passing by then grinned, _tornado, I like that!_ She remembered Varric's nickname and bickered with herself as she rushed to her chambers, _Phoenix or Tornado? Mmng I don't know which one I like more…_ She remembered to be careful with her door and slow down after being politely lectured by Josephine to stop ripping it off the hinges, _how many times did I do that anyways?_ When she ran up the steps, her bickering between which nickname she liked most ceased as soon as she saw Sera. _Right, she gave me the best one._ Her face lit up and affectionately grinned at the annoyed archer hugging herself with the blankets on the bed.

"What are you smiling for, weirdo?"

"Dunno," Lavellan shrugged, "Just for seeing you," her grin grew at the look on Sera's face, "I can't think of a better reason. Can you?" The flustered city elf scoffed and averted her gaze, muttering something under her breath. "What was that?"

"Never mind," the archer looked at the bunched up drapes in Ellana's hands, "Are you serious? I can't wear that ye half wit! Does that look like clothes to you?" Her jaw dropped when the mage used her teeth to rip it into strips length-wise and walked to the bed, offering what was left. "That's rags, not clothes! Ugh just gimme your stuff and I'll go to my room to look."

"Alright," Lavellan placed the strips on the bed and with it the statue that was hidden underneath, she missed the wide-eyed look on Sera's face as she pulled her sleeveless shirt over her head. When she handed the shirt to the archer she tilted her head in confusion, "Is something wrong?" She followed her gaze to the carving then grinned, "Oh that! I found that and was wondering-"

"Don't just steal stuff ye daft tit!" The irony of the situation was conveniently ignored by the Red Jenny as she took the statue and cradled it away from Ellana's field of view, "Why the heck did you take this?"

"I got curious and well," the mage sheepishly scratched the back of her head, "I thought maybe you carved it and-"

"Wasn't me," Sera blurted, "Pfft, why would I do somethin' elfy? You should know me by now." _I was hoping but… I guess my doubts were right…_ Lavellan's shoulders slumped at the disappointment as her hope shattered and was then crushed, she hooked her thumbs in her waist-band and pulled off the knee-length breeches, placing them behind the archer's back who remained turned away from her. _Why does it matter anyways? It's just a carving that I could maybe do too,_ she reasoned to herself in order to lift her spirits up, _still, it would have meant that Sera accepts that I'm 'elfy'…_ She sighed dejectedly and plopped to the fireplace, unaware of the mood change in the room. Before she sat down she noted she still had her underclothes on and turned around to ask if Sera needed them too, her mouth opened then closed yet she couldn't utter a sound. She simply froze and gaped at the archer, slack-jawed and confused, _why does she look like that?_

Scared.

Sera had been blankly staring at the carving in her hands and the mage could smell the salt threatening to spill from the city elf's eyes that swirled with multiple negative emotions: from fear and guilt, shame and regret, and one other emotion that looked familiar from last night. When the razor sharp slits met hers, Ellana reacted quickly and rushed forward then instinctively wrapped her arms around the archer's shoulders. The smell of salt overwhelmed her senses and the way Sera tightly clutched her as if her life depended on it had honest to Creators frightened her. "What's wrong?" Crying was her answer and she stiffened when she felt something wet slide down her chest. She's never seen the archer in this state and had no idea what to do, sensitivity wasn't exactly her specialty. Glaring at the abandoned carving, Ellana had contemplated on burning the damn thing but something told her that would upset Sera even more.

It didn't help that her urges to touch and kiss the city elf had for some reason been at the forefront of her mind and her temper flared, _even_ _I_ _know that would be wrong to do right now,_ yet she couldn't quell the desires. She leaned back to cup Sera's chin and her heart constricted at the sight of tears rolling down her cheeks with eyes squeezed shut, _what do I do?_ She glanced at the carving again and was reminded when she was a child and would hide in the halla pen, crying when the Keeper forbid her from playing with the others and was upset when she found out Ellana had shirked her studies. Several of the halla came to her, nudging their cheeks with hers and licked her tears, she had remembered that despite the odd feeling it comforted her and made her laugh when it tickled. Leaning forward she tenderly pressed her lips to Sera's forehead and whispered, "'Ma vhenan, what's wrong?" _Why did the carving make her scared?_

Something about the fear's scent had been familiar, _recent?_ Her thoughts made no sense and instead she mimicked what she had learned from the halla and gently slid her tongue to collect the tears, apparently that had been the wrong thing to do. Suddenly pushed away, the smell of fear grew tenfold and nearly smothered the oxygen out of the air. _Morning,_ the wide-eyed look cut daggers in her, _why is she looking at me like she's scared of_ _me_ _?_ The very thought made her sick, "Sera, I won't hurt you. I'd never hurt you, you know that. What's wrong?" _Dream,_ realization dawned on her and she finally pieced together what the scent was, _it's the same fear this morning, what happened in her dream?_ Lavellan knew all too well what it was like for dreams to haunt yet the only thing that calmed her was the archer's presence, how would that work if Sera was scared of her?

Ellana reached out and the city elf swatted her hands away, "Just… Don't touch me Ena." Sera averted her gaze and collected the clothes the mage gave her, she slid off the bed and quietly got dressed. _What do I do?_ The sniffles as the archer struggled not to cry and wiped her eyes with her forearm had been the worst thing Lavellan had watched, _she looks so vulnerable._ It reminded her of Redcliffe with the future Sera and her anger threatened to overwhelm her, she slid off the bed and stomped towards the city elf. Wrapping her arms around the archer, she nuzzles into the crook of Sera's neck and tentatively licks one of the bruises she had left. Guilt filled her, _who am I kidding? I've already hurt her._ "Ena," Sera spoke through gritted teeth as she tensed in the hold, " **Let**. **Go**."

"No."

"Now's really not a good time to be stubborn."

"You say that all the time. Now tell me what happened in the dream."

"Wha-"

"And don't try to deny it. It's the same smell of fear from earlier." _Starting to become better tuned to her,_ one of the benefits of being bond-mates was being acutely aware of them and sharing what they themselves felt, but it was also a double edged sword. Though it made positive feelings more intense, the same could be said for the negative feelings. _Didn't Solas also explain that with my particular rite the elvhen of old were able to share thoughts too?_ Though the process wasn't always a seamless transition and took a significant amount of time to develop, the thought that one day Ellana and Sera could become that close made her feel… Well…

To be honest it scared the crap out of her.

 _What will I do if all I hear is cursing and 'you daft tit'?_ She paled, _what will I do when Sera experiences the other effects?_ Images of the archer chasing her around Skyhold with arrows flooded her mind, _she'll shove all of them up my ass._ She was snapped out of her reverie when Sera shook her, "Oi! I'm talkin' to you, snap outta it weirdo!" Muffled knocks interrupted them and the archer groaned, "Dunno if I should be happy or mad..." _Huh?_

Ellana shrugged, "Come in, it's open!" Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion when the archer scrambled to hide the carving with the torn flag and then took the bed sheets, hastily throwing the blanket on Lavellan. "What's th-" something about Sera's glare made her shut up and gulp, "Er... Thank you."

"That's what I thought," the archer crossed her arms and shifted her glare to the person who intruded them then smirked, "Morning Ruffles."

"Am I interrupting anything important?" Josephine asked hesitantly yet retained her polite smile, the mage shook her head, "Ah, good. I had wanted to come check on how you were feeling, Leliana informed me you left the party quite early. Is everything alright?"

"Ah, yes. I had..." Lavellan glanced at Sera and both of them smirked mischievously, the mage spoke yet her eyes never broke away from the razor sharp slits. "A better idea on how I wanted to party."

"I… See," Josephine wasn't quite sure what to make of that statement but her cheeks flushed with red when she finally noticed the bruises Sera wore with pride. Coughing to clear her throat she nods, "I'm glad you had a wonderful night."

"That's an understatement," Ellana interjected and her head tilted in confusion when she had glanced back at the Ambassador only to find her completely red in the face. "Josephine!" She rushed forward and placed her the back of her hand on the antivan woman's forehead, "Creators, you're burning up." Her temper flared protectively, "You've been working all night again haven't you? I-"

"N-no," the Ambassador weakly protested and stepped back, "I assure you I'm fine, it's just… Suddenly very warm up here." Sera grinned at the flustered woman as she insisted she was fine while Lavellan followed her towards the exit, hot on her retreating heels. It was only then Sera remembered the mage's situation and rushed after the two, tightly grabbing Ellana's wrist before she followed the Ambassador out of her chambers. The archer hadn't even flinched at the heated glare nor the protests, and as she looked down her tongue subconsciously swept along her bottom lip, her lopsided grin evident that she most definitely loved what she saw.

"Ruffles really is fine," Sera reached over the elven woman's shoulder and closed the door to the quarters, "And you really won't be."

"What?" Lavellan followed the archer's gaze, _oh the blankets fell off,_ she mindlessly let Sera guide her back up the stairs and to the bed, _but I am fine?_ Before she could ask the city elf pushed her on the bed and straddled her waist, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. Yet something else spoke to her, the way Sera kissed her was completely different from previous 'exchanges', and she had worried of the archer's sudden change of demeanor. Not that she was  really complaining, Sera's earlier request made her stomach twist and heart threaten to explode, this change was much more pleasant. The haunted look in the razor sharp slits made her want to punch the living hell out of whatever that bothered Sera, but she couldn't have punched herself. Well she could, but thankfully she didn't follow through with that urge.

 **Just… Don't touch me Ena.**

 _But what changed?_ All thoughts slowly melted away, lost in the searing mouth possessively claiming hers. That's when it struck her and her lips spread in a grin against Sera's, she merely grunted in response when the archer had mumbled and asked why she grinned. She propped herself up on her elbows to reach the mouth that was more than capable of easily driving her past her breaking point in more than one way.

Possession.

 _She's mine,_ her heart swelled with indescribable warmth and she winced when she felt a hand ghost over her tender stitches, Sera parted and looked down in guilt as she muttered apologies. _And I'm hers._ "It's not a problem," Ellana spoke in the hoarse timbre she had now grown accustomed to, she fumbled and wove her hands through the blonde locks to pull the archer down for another mind-shattering kiss. _Literally,_ she mentally chuckled dryly as she felt it difficult to think through the haze enveloping her mind, noting the sudden difference in how she was on top of a  naked elf. _When did this happen?_ She dove down and trailed feather-light kisses, her grin growing at the way Sera instinctively tilted her head to give full access as she exposed her multicolored neck. _Animals do this as a sign of trust,_ her heart swelled to the point it had ached at that thought, _Sera_ _trusts_ _me._

As soon as the musky scent filtered in the array of a multiple of other smells, Ellana bid her farewell to her self-control as the two waved enthusiastically at each other. Self-control nodded in affirmation and masked its hurt as it packed its bags and left, knowing better than to helplessly fight against such a powerful enemy. The room swam and blurred in the mage's mind, all she could see was creamy skin, taste the odd spice clinging to it, vaguely hear Sera's curses, and feel nothing but 'complete'. She had been unaware that the archer was calling out to her, fingernails digging in her shoulders as Sera urged her to stop but it fell on deaf ears. Right now Ellana had wanted nothing more than to experience the strange yet wildly addicting food from last night and set out to sate her desires, clambering downwards and nestling between the quivering legs. When the scent hit her directly she growled, lowering and roughly dragging her tongue along the heavily-coated slit. Frustrated when Sera's hips kept bucking around she hooked her arms around the lean thighs and held them down with all her might, pain from straining her stomach gnawed at the edges of her consciousness but she ignored it. She didn't know what was better, the taste or the smell but as soon as she pressed her tongue in deeper she had her answer.

Both.

 _Why the fuck would she hide this from me?_ Ellana growled as the hips shot up despite her tight hold, _now_ _is when she fucking trains me?!_ Exotic, something about all this had sparked primal urges within her and she loved it with a passion, only the archer had a talent for bringing out the raw side of her. _Natural._ With a growl of satisfaction at that thought, she once again pressed her tongue inside and navigated the velvet soft textures, fighting so that both taste and scent would not literally make her sanity crumble. Unbeknownst to her that had already come and gone, if Sera's shouted proclamations were any indications. Something tugged at the back of her mind, quite literally it seemed. It took a while before she oriented to the fact that the archer had been roughly pulling her hair as she hailed curses and Lavellan rose her head, making no move to wipe her chin or nose from the juices that coated it. She inspected the rapid rise and fall of the chest and when Sera gazed heatedly at her with clouded eyes swirling with a familiar yet unnamed emotion, the mage had become acutely aware of the odd ache settled in between her own legs.

" _Now_ you stop?" The archer was breathless yet irritation was clearly evident in her tone. She tugged on the firebrand hair and her head fell back to the pillows with a soft thud, "After this," she gulped for sorely-needed air, "My turn." _Turn for what?_ Another tug of her hair and Ellana had taken a wild guess at what the signal meant along with going back to sate her cravings for the taste she had already missed. She lowered and gently sucked on the swollen bud as she watched the city elf, noting that her own ache had become unbearable the moment Sera's lips parted and uttered a weak, tired moan that honest to Creators sounded like  music in Lavellan's ears. At that thought, the mage subconsciously started to quietly hum a tune and was unaware of how Sera's body immediately tensed. " **Fuck**. **No**."

"Hm?" Ellana muffled yet remained focused on the task, and the archer huffed then sat straight up, glaring without restraint as she clambered back. Confused, the elven woman simply amounted it to Sera being irritated and getting more comfortable, but when she shimmied forward she stopped dead in her tracks at the scary flash in Sera's eyes. Her own life flashed in the razor sharp slits, and she gulped audibly, "I'm… Sorry?" _Not sure what for but that seems like that might save me right now._

"Yer a real natural at blowing up shit Ena, even moods, know that? If I ever hear that bloody fuckin' song ever again, I will stick arrows so far up yer arse it'll come out yer other bleedin' hole." _That's why she's upset? I think it's a nice song…_ Before she could open her mouth and ask, the city elf placed a finger on her lips and her warning glare intensified to a murderous killing intent, "And I'm gonna shove arrows  and knives up that stupid bard's arse up too." Lavellan thoughtlessly nodded and tried to quell the hammering in her heart as her eyes widened at the archer's angry display, _she's… She's scarier than the Keeper. How is that possible?_ _Nobody's_ _scarier than the Keeper!_ Hoping she could calm the city elf down and shut her up before they'd senselessly argued, Ellana got on her hands and knees and began to crawl higher. She lowered but missed the elusive mouth that darted out to the side, instead accidentally kissing Sera's cheek. "Off! I'm too pissed off for this!" _Over a song?!_

"Aw come on Sera, just one kiss?" The fear from before rose again and Lavellan studied the city elf quietly this time, knowing that constantly insisting and pressuring will only further infuriate the already-furious elf. _I love her, but I also want to live so I can keep loving her,_ the mage blanched, _and I still need to settle a score with that dragon. After that I can-wait no there's Corypheus too damn…_ She sighed and leaned back on her heels, _Sera or my life?_ The decision itself had been particularly easy, _Sera_ _is_ _my life_. As none threatening as she could manage, Ellana moved slowly so as not to startle or alarm the archer, laying down beside her and nudging her to roll on her side. She expected resistance, but surprisingly Sera complied and the elven woman tucked in behind her, draping her arm around her waist and planting a kiss to the back of her neck. The cravings for the taste and the scent was still tampering with her control but nothing sobered her up faster than the fact that the archer was either in pain or in trouble of some sort. Her protective instincts kicked in and she squeezed gently, mumbling against the sweat-soaked skin, "I'm sorry for upsetting you, but you can trust me. What's wrong?"

The husk in her tone was a dead giveaway to what she was truly thinking and she trembled slightly, the overpowering urges were practically screaming at her muscles to move. The longer the silence stretched, the stronger her desires became and she had been unaware that she was tracing circles along the toned stomach. _What_ _is_ _this, what compels me to feel this even when she's upset?_ Shame and concern gnawed at the edges of her consciousness, _what if it gets so strong I can't stop?_ The thought that she was the one that was responsible for Sera's pain or fear made her stomach churn with nausea, she had vaguely remembered something about the archer explaining that if she did things for too long, 'it hurt'. Yet she needed Sera to forcibly stop her and she averted her gaze to the bruises on the city elf's neck, _I've already hurt her without meaning to several times. What good are intentions if my body naturally inflicts pain?_

At that moment, she had suddenly regretted being proud when Iron Bull had complimented her during training once, calling her a 'born fighter' and 'natural killing machine'. Finally the silence was broken and she felt dextrous hands dance along her forearm, the sparks shot through her spine and she shivered at the light touch. _Light,_ Lavellan inwardly scoffed, _Sera's not gentle either and yet she can touch like that. I can't._ "It's not your fault, Ena," Sera muttered so quietly it was hard to hear even with their enhanced senses. "Shouldn't even bug me so much, dunno why it is."

"The dream?"

"Yeah."

"Can you tell me what happened? I know maybe I won't get it but it's better than carrying the burden alone when you've got an extra set of shoulders. I speak," Ellana attempted to kiss her scarred shoulder as tenderly as possible, "From experience. Experience you taught me." Sera sighed frustratedly but before she could protest the mage whispered with conviction, " _Please_ , Sera."

"Fine," the archer grumbled, "Know how you go pretty crazy when you hmm..." Sera contemplated on how to explain it in a way the mage might still understand, "When you go down on me?"

"Down on you?"

Sera groaned, "This is not gonna be easy unless I show you, you really can't wait till tonight?"

"No," the matter of fact tone left absolutely no room for argument. The archer took Lavellan's hand and trailed lower, biting back a pleasurable hiss when she felt warm fingers accidentally slide over the sensitive and swollen bud.

"T-that, there. When you-ugh I'm gonna regret this-when you eat but I ain't fuckin' food, got it? When you eat," she glanced over her shoulder at the dilated eyes, "You go nuts."

"Well, yeah? You taste really good, I've never had that before."

"Frig yer talkin' 'bout me like I'm still food Ena!"

"I'm sorry! You're not food," Ellana smiled slightly when the city elf huffed but before she turned away, the mage noticed the way the corner of her lips curled upwards. _She's starting to feel a little better. I have to pay attention to her and not what's distracting me,_ tall order, that. Her hand still lingered and she unintentionally slid upwards, drawing a weak moan from the archer and noting how her hips involuntarily shifted  with her. _Why am I moving? What's this ache?_

"Anyways," Sera breathlessly whispered, " _Fuck_ I knew I'd spend more time talking than frigging but this is  still fucking hard." _What's hard?_ "Look, the dream it's… It was 'bout that, but it's also you losing control to the point you just ain't… You anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"You ain't you! What's not to get 'bout that? You ain't Ena. Didn't feel safe and you had no fire in your eyes, you always have fire in yer eyes. You looked and treated like I was just a slab of meat, a toy." Lavellan stiffened at that thought and her stomach flip flopped with nausea again, _so she is scared of me. I hurt her last night and now…_ She chewed on her lip out of nervousness, _any time these things happen she knows how to lighten it up, but I've never seen her this serious before. What do I do? Say?_ The city elf sighed at the lack of response and she scooted off the bed then collected the haphazardly thrown clothes. "Look Ena, I don't expect you to get it so don't worry, alright?" _She's clearly disappointed, that much I can tell._

"Y-you can..." _What, trust_ _you_ _? Who are you trying to fool when her dream nearly happened?_ She trailed off and averted her gaze, unable to meet the archer's eyes when she turned around. The awkward silence was positively suffocating and the tension threatened to burst into flames itself. _No matter how much time I've spent out of the forest, an animal is an animal no matter where they wander._ "You're not food," she choked out weakly then clenched her fists, _quit being a coward and look her in the eyes! You've stared at dragons and demons right up close, this is your best friend, your bond-mate!_ She gritted her teeth and did one better, she slid off the bed and walked straight up to the city elf then placed her hands on her shoulders. "Test me. Words don't cut it out for you, I may not be the brightest but I know that much. Let me  prove it, Sera."

"Wait, what? It was a dream ye daft tit I know it's not you and that you'd never do that. Was just explaining why I'm a bit jumpy is all, but don't worry 'bout it alright?" The archer paused then realization dawned on her, "Worried you might go off the deep end like that?" Ellana couldn't look at her and nodded slowly.

"It does drive me crazy, you drive me crazy and I don't know why but..." Lavellan looked up with eyes filled with resolve, "If I can help it, I would rather **die** than ever do that to you. I can prove it!" She was taken aback by Sera's lopsided, affectionate grin and the passionate kiss. Muffling in surprise when the archer nearly knocked her down with such sudden force, she noted the complete switch in mood and couldn't help but be curious. _She switches so fast, so easily, what did I just do?_ Swept up in the moment Ellana instinctively wrapped her arms around the city elf's waist to pull closer as she reciprocated with just as much strength and emotion, pouring every ounce of her spirit she had. _She deserves nothing but the best, and I'm always going to do better than best._

"And that luv," Sera breathed as she rested their foreheads together, "Is how I know you're the **real** Ena."


	21. True Strength

**Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!**

* * *

 **True Strength**

* * *

After reluctantly parting to allow Sera to rush back to her room in search of spare clothing, Ellana plopped back to the bed and fought hard to wait patiently. _It's not patience if you're struggling so hard,_ she grumbled and tried to think of ways to occupy herself in the mean time. She looked at the djembe in the corner and a smile swept up her face immediately, she swiftly went over to retrieve it. Much of her nights staying up for an extra hour or two was dedicated to learning how to play this particular drum and she had discovered multiple different tones, courtesy of Leliana. Much to the Spymaster's surprise, mastering the slap tone wasn't entirely difficult and she had experimented with just her fingers now that she's gotten used with her hands.

The focus for her was speed, to not just get the hang of hitting the correct spots for the right tones but to also do it in a rapid succession of beats. She found it had easily invigorated her and often noticed how she had the largest excited grin by the time she had finally exhausted herself playing. If she recalled correctly, Leliana said not very many women play the drum and even less players were skilled enough to be able to tell an actual 'story' with it in which anybody listening would be able to decipher the meaning. She looked down at it thoughtfully as she mindlessly tapped a rhythm with her fingers, _what kind of story do I want to tell?_

"You just love going bang, bang, bang, don'tcha?" Her head shot out to the source of the voice and grinned immediately, nodding enthusiastically as the archer approached her with an equally bright grin. _Her smile is contagious,_ Ellana held out the drum.

"Would you like to try?"

"Nah, it's actually fun watching you go nuts on it. Make sure you don't blow it up though yeah?" Sera chuckled when the mage adamantly shook her head, "I've got a feeling I'm gonna be fighting with that drum in the future."

"Why? If it upsets you I-"

"Not what I meant, don't worry 'bout it. Anyways," Sera tossed the elven woman's clothes back, "Don't set it on fire with yer friggin' face again weirdo. Don'tcha have training to do?"

"Will you still be with me for the day?" Ellana muffled as she wrestled the sleeveless shirt on, "I already called off meditation for Solas, my rounds with Bull and Varric aren't until after noon."

"So clingy," Sera whispered, "Yeaaaah… I guess I'll come, already said I would and-" she scratched the side of her head and glanced off-side, "Someone taught me how important it is to keep yer promises."

"Who?" Lavellan asked genuinely and tilted her head in confusion when the archer huffed exasperatedly, swatting her hand dismissively through the empty air as if trying to say 'forget about it'. The mage shrugged and finished tying her knee-length breeches then retrieved the hemp rope from her desk, sitting on the chair and swiftly wrapping her hands with practiced skill. She worked on her shins next and bounced up from the chair as soon as she tucked in the loose ends, slamming her fist in her palm with enthusiasm as her eyes lit up with that same spirit any time she got excited at the prospect of a good workout or tough fight.

"Y'know, the one thing I like 'bout fighting is sticking it to those that deserve it, that's pretty much it. The heck do you like it so much for?"

"Hmm," Ellana shrugged, "It makes my blood boil. It's a constant challenge, and I get to prove my strength. I get to learn and grow, improve, be better than I was yesterday. If it's someone-as you say-who deserves it and I protect those I care about then that fires me up even more." She clenched and unclenched her fists to double-check the tension wasn't too tight with the wrappings, "I'll always train, because I can always get better. And in this world," her eyes flashed angrily at the distant memory of the deformed magister, "You'll always find someone stronger than you." The images of her friends falling one after another in Redcliffe struck a sore spot and her heart constricted painfully, "Never again will I stand helplessly, powerless as I watch my friends die before my eyes."

"You still think it's your fault?" Sera crossed her arms and had an expression that clearly read as 'you better not be thinking that rubbish'.

"I do," Lavellan stated adamantly, "I don't think it. I believe it. That belief is what will always keep me strong and never give up," when she noticed the rapidly rising anger her eyes flashed at Sera's, "It's not up for argument." _You gave your life for me in the future, even when at the time we hadn't been on the best of terms._ She walked to the archer and rested her arms on the lean shoulders, mindful of the sore one, "I have someone I look up to. She stands beside me through the best and worst without flinching, and without a spare thought she saved me, gave me- _us_ -a second chance. I'll be damned if I don't work my ass off and give my best in every single thing I do, because that would be the same as to spit on her with the utmost disrespect. I have made many promises, but my dearest promises are to Samahl, the future you, and you. They are the closest things I keep to my heart in the toughest of battles." She squeezed Sera's good shoulder and smiled warmly when the razor sharp slits had softened, "And to go back to your question, it's fun kicking butt. I believe you call it 'badass'."

"Oh, so you think you're badass now do ya?" Sera lilted teasingly and her eyes danced playfully as the flames of anger fully extinguished, "More badass than me?"

"Care to settle it in the ring?"

"Puh-leaze, don't even need my arrows to grind yer arse to dust, luv."

"It's settled then," Ellana's competitive spirit flared to peak performance and she had immediately become hyper with adrenaline and excitement, "Down to the ring we go!" She grabbed Sera's wrist and dragged her along, her melodic laughter bounced off the walls as the archer realized she was actually serious and frantically protested at the insane idea. "It's okay Sera, I'll give you a handicap and fight with one hand!"

"WHAT?! I'm more worried you'll blow yourself up!"

"Tough talk for someone having second thoughts and clearly reeks of fear! Besides, that's what healers are for. They've moved their tent closer to the ring when I asked if they didn't mind sparing one for me."

"Someone save this half wit..."

* * *

Both elves had something of a crowd gathering to watch as Bull refereed the fight, eyes shining bright with amusement and thoroughly entertained at how this had even come to happen. Since Sera could clearly not use arrows and was not formally trained in hand-to-hand combat, she was allowed one dull practice dagger. To make it equally safe for her, Ellana was forbidden to use her knees and elbows unless it was light contact… In which Sera exclaimed immediately no way not even light contact-for everybody knew as soon as the mage was excited she had lost all awareness of her own strength and control when pure adrenaline combined with flames-for-brains. If anything, Ellana's idea of light contact was somebody else's idea of chaos, blowing craters in the damn field and destroying half a building for 'symmetry'. On one end stood the city elf pinching the bridge of her nose and sighing, wondering who hated her enough to be this cruel while on the other end the dalish elf had been hopping on her feet as a warm up, her eyes set ablaze with wild fire. "Don't need me to say that all is fair game aside from the established rules and… Well don't kill each other," Bull laughed at the dirty look Sera gave him, "You'll be alright! I'd say to make things even more interesting-"

"We don't need to! Don't give Ena friggin' ideas you fuckin' bronto!" _I'm_ _so_ _gonna spill all yer hidden reserves and put fuckin' cockroaches inside. Rig your chair to make sure it'll fall apart when ya sit too. And when yer passed out I'll put Red's undies on your fuckin' horns, we'll meet up in hell after I die here._

"You should make a wager!" The qunari's booming laughter was supported as the crowd cheered and Sera had suddenly felt like she was in some pit ring, about to take on a rabid dog with a toothpick. _What the fuck did I do to deserve this?_

"What's a wager?" Lavellan asked genuinely, Sera had given up protesting knowing full well what was going to happen when one of the Inquisition soldiers leaned over and whispered in her ear. Her face immediately lit up with a radiant grin and she nodded enthusiastically, slamming her fist in her palm and shouting, "That sounds fun! Let's make a bet Sera!" _It ain't enough that I'm gonna die?_

"Alright," Sera announced grumpily, "What are the stakes then?" _She don't have anything fun I could win anyways, too bad I didn't explain 'bout last night._

Ellana crossed her arms confidently and her eyes danced with mischief, "You get to be Inquisitor for the day if you win."

"How the fuck is that a win?! You'd toss me to the wolves to sign papers, or shake hands with poncy farts!"

"Think about it! You could do anything you wanted and not get in trouble." _Hey that actually sounds_ _really_ _good..._

"Uh Boss," Bull paled and started sweating when Sera smirked sadistically towards him, "I'm not sure if that's a good idea..."

"It's fine, it'll make the fight more interesting! Besides she has to give me something just as good."

"You bet pretty damn high weirdo," Sera grinned and she could feel her blood boil with excitement as well, _so this is what she likes about fights huh?_ "Risky… I like it." She absent-mindlessly spun the dagger in her hand as she thought of something suitable for the mage and shrugged, "Dunno what you'd want if you win though." At that she smirked when the elven woman seemed stumped, _she thought about me but not herself? Whatta weirdo._

"Well if Sera is Inquisitor if she wins, why won't you 'Inquisit' Sera if you win, Boss?"

"Huh?" Lavellan scratched her head, "I don't get it." _Oh fuck no, that nug fucker better not be thinking-_

"You know. Order her 'round for the whole day, she can't refuse." The mischievous smirk on Bull's face spoke volumes of exactly what he meant by 'orders' and several of the soldiers fought not to erupt in laughter as the clueless mage pondered on the idea. _No way, if she was all kinky and all hey let's have sex all day I'd be jumping on board and tell Bull I owe him a beer, but even he knows this daft twat doesn't do that shit!_ The look in the elven woman's coal eyes as she stared at Sera with intense concentration had made her skin crawl, _is she just gonna fuckin' stare all day? Hurry up and say no already! Besides she don't have it in her to order people 'round, 'specially not me._

"Alright," _WHAT?!_ Ellana shrugged and then got hyped up again as she hopped in the spot to warm up, "I can't think of anything better and that does sound fun. Judging by the look on your face I'd say that's high stakes right ma vhenan?" She smirked confidently as she cracked each knuckle, "This is  my win, no problem."

"I'm gonna wipe the floor with you and you'll be sorry you had that smug fuckin' smile on yer face Ena," the archer relaxed her wrist as she firmly held on the hilt of the dagger. _Watched her with evil-anne oh balls not that fuckin' name…_ She inwardly groaned and missed when Bull brought his hand down, signifying the round had started. She panicked thinking Lavellan would've charged at her immediately but instead she found that the mage had actually  waited.

"Ready ma vhenan? You looked out of it for a second there," Ellana stated worriedly. _Too friggin' knightly._

"She's busy with a combined artillery strike of piss and shit thinking what'll happen when she's gonna lose," Bull laughed, "That ain't no way to think, victory or death Sera!"

"Shut up, this is your fault too! I'm wiping the floor with you next you nug fucker!" Her eyes fell back on the concerned coal eyes and instead of being grateful that the mage hadn't outright struck her, she had become furious. _I don't need your fuckin' pity Ena!_ "Ready to be elfy and kiss dirt?" She spun the dagger so that the blade had pointed out towards her elbow and slid down on the hilt to expose the pommel more, _out on the streets, you hesitate even a split second and you're dead. I'll show you even rats got bite,_ she knew blindly charging in would have been a fatal mistake. If she gets caught in a clinch she's done for, and she most definitely had to keep an eye out for hooks if elbows were out of the play. _The only way she won with that orlais whore was because she took the risk of getting stabbed to grab her._ She closed in slowly, cautiously, her eyes trained on the mage's feet for the misleading stance that drew attention to the flexed knee and hands. _Ena's too damn noble-y to play dirty,_ an actual noble heart at that rather than the ones the archer despised. _Like Bull said, anything goes. Use all tools at your disposal Sera._ She feigned a side-step to the right then quickly shifted past to the left, but before she could tap the dagger on the mage's side Ellana had ducked slightly and twisted her torso to reverse backhand, the archer quickly stepped back before she was struck. _Fuck, can't take chances like that again._ She noted that her throat had felt raw and scratchy, she tried to clear it with a light cough, _lame, must've swallowed some friggin' dust. This'll get annoying fast if I push and irritate it more._

Studying the smoldering coal eyes like a hawk, she noted that the elven woman had surprisingly done the same. _She actually looks… Calm?_ In a fight like this where the two knew each other so well, it would be easy to tell where they intended to move and for some reason Sera actually been able to 'feel' it too. She picked up the faint scent in the air of where the muscles were ready to shift towards and had honestly been slightly crept out by the sensation herself. _What the fuck is going on with me?_ As soon as Lavellan made a move towards her she had been able to deflect her hook and jumped back to avoid the crescent kick, _it's almost like I can even tell_ _exactly_ _what she's gonna do. Is it coz I watch her train with Bull?_ She inwardly shook her head, _but_ _I_ _don't train with her, I shouldn't tell this easily._ She remained on the defensive and figured the best way was to exhaust the mage instead who always poured all of her energy, 10 minutes later of conserving her own energy while Ellana blew through even her reserves and she was sure the fight would be hers. The mage knelt on one knee, quietly cursing in elvhen and furiously wiping her brow to clear the sweat. _Ena everybody knows you charge in without thinking. But you ain't stupid, so why would ya still do that with me?_

 ** _I'll be damned if I don't work my ass off and give my best in every single thing I do._**

 _Still don't make sense that she'd tire herself out like this, even with that orlais whore she was careful, controlled until she decided to risk it. She's…_ Cautiously approaching the downed elven woman and ignoring the boos for her and the cheers for the Inquisitor, Sera trained her eyes on the mage's hands grasping the dirt. _One way to play dirty,_ she noted the particular spot Lavellan would hop back to and seemingly tried to lure her there, it was then she noticed the deep grooves the dalish woman kicked in with her heel. She smirked with pride, _second way to play dirty, Ena ain't as noble-y as I thought huh? Least she listened to me, but I ain't gonna fall for simple tricks like that luv. Don't survive this long if that's all it takes to bring me down._ Instead of taking the bait, Sera had backed away and crossed her arms, smirking when the mage's eyes widened then flared with frustration and she growled. "So good I take yer breath away huh luv? Take s'much time ya need to recover I don't mind waiting." She chuckled when the mage slammed her fist in the dirt and cursed in elvhen, her hands relaxed and the dirt she had grabbed trickled out. _She fights so fuckin' hard even when she's this tired, like our lives depend on it._

 ** _Because that would be the same as to spit on her with the utmost disrespect._**

 _Sometimes you need to lose to see how cruel things can be,_ Sera side-stepped when the mage recklessly charged at her and watched with sympathy when the exhausted woman had tripped on her own grooves, _it makes you fight even harder to keep what you already have._ Lavellan's anger had gotten the best of her and her movements were uncoordinated and sloppy, incredibly easy to see through. _Don't have the heart for this,_ the archer sighed, _she's got openings everywhere like it's fuckin' Satinalia morning._ At that she remembered, _oh right, that's coming up soon._ She glared at Bull out of the corner of her eye, _name the village idiot as ruler for the day too, that what nug humper was tryin' to say with this stupid ass wager?_ The more her mind wandered, the more the crowd booed her and cheered for the mage that never relented despite her lack of energy, she had been completely winded. "Sera," Ellana wheezed and rested her hands on her knees as she swallowed large gulps of air, "Stop _fucking_ insulting me! I won't fucking lose, I refuse to lose!"

 _That's what I used to tell myself until I did nothing but lose,_ the archer's eyebrows furrowed and she felt conflicted with her decision. Before Ena, she would have taken this careless fool down without a single thought and even cackled in their face, if she had really felt like they deserved it she'd pour some piss and bees for further insult. Now, as she was sparring with the woman who's single-handedly changed and taught her that life wasn't the swampy cesspool of shit you trekked waist-deep in, she couldn't find it in her to take advantage of the seemingly infinite opportunities to end the battle. _It really worth being the 'Inquisitor' for a day? The fuck am I gonna do, pranks? I'll do 'em anyways._ The firebrand hair stuck to the sweat-slicked face as the sharp canines were barred, the more Lavellan had caved in to the frustration the more her coal eyes dilated with feral rage. _I have to snap her outta it or else she won't stop with just a hook, she's gone now._

 ** _Test me. Words don't cut it out for you, I may not be the brightest but I know that much. Let me_** ** _prove_** ** _it, Sera._**

 _Then prove it, Ena._ She stared silently and dropped her stance to provide an opening, as the mage charged at her again Bull shouted out for Ellana to stop as her body reflexively dove to tackle. _Will you really hurt me?_ _Are you that far gone, that pissed, that you'd break your promise? Even if you don't trust yourself,_ _I_ _trust that you're better than that._ She smirked when she had noted the way the coal eyes widened and changed to one of shock and fear but it was too late, Lavellan's body was already in motion and would still crash.

 ** _If I can help it, I would rather_** ** _die_** ** _than ever do that to you. I can prove it!_**

Bracing herself for the blow that was sure to make her see stars, Sera dropped her dagger and closed her eyes as she crossed her forearms in an X to shield her face. Seconds later she heard a familiar yelp and pained grunts as something sounded like it landed, she opened her eyes only to see Lavellan was face first in the dirt. The elven woman chuckled weakly and propped herself up on her elbows then grinned at Sera, "I messed up again, didn't judge the distance as well as I thought." _How the fuck… Did she stop herself? No doubt 'bout it we were gonna crash._ As she pushed herself up and brushed off the dirt she snickered quietly, "Looks like I was elfy and kissed the dirt huh ma'arlath?" _How the hell is she joking_ _now_ _? She was just pissed the hell off!_ Sera's eyes lowered and noted the way the top of the feet had seemingly looked scraped off, a thin layer of skin peeled to the side as blood collected and clotted. _She kicked down to stop herself?_ She shot back up to the coal eyes shining with agony, yet Lavellan rose her fists and wiped the corner of her mouth where she had accidentally split her lip, her teeth stained with blood as she grinned. _She's got to be bloody hurting_ _everywhere_ _, how the hell is she still smiling when she's in pain?!_

"Daft tit," Sera whispered so that only Ellana would be able to hear her, "You would've won, don't even think 'bout fighting when yer in fuckin' pain. I surrender."

"Fuck no vhenan," Ellana slammed her fist in her palm, "I would've hurt you, that doesn't count as a 'win' to me. Pain just makes things more interesting. Pick up your weapon and let's go." _Is she fucking insane?!_

"You can't fuckin' move! Your feet are-"

"Just fine. I've handled worse, it's not a problem."

"It is a problem and it'll be an even bigger problem!"

"Are you going to pick up your weapon or will I have to force you to defend yourself?" _She can't be serious!_ Yet as she tuned in to the mage in the creepy sensational way as before, she could tell Ena was  dead serious. "Don't even think about insulting me by playing around or going easy again, Sera. Fight me for real."

"You want serious? **Fine** ," Sera seethed and picked up the dagger then spun it so the blade faced her elbow, she motioned with her free hand, "Come and get it then, you fuckin' idiot. I'll knock you out so get ready to kiss dirt again!" She kept on the defensive but she stood slack-jawed, when the mage had merely grinned and closed her eyes. _What the fuck is she doing?_ _You_ _never_ _close your eyes or turn your back on the enemy, even babies know that fuckin' rule!_ She shook her head, _whatever she's making it easier for me to knock her the hell out then._ As she moved forward she had noticed that the sensations she had before and the method to read Ellana's movements were just gone, as if she was charging into unknown territory. _All or nothing, time to put an end to this bullshit before this daft tit needs to get her feet chopped off!_ She moved flawlessly and quietly then moved to strike with the dagger, intending to press it at the carotid artery. However, she had stiffened when the mage hadn't moved left or right, but rather jumped up and braced her hands on Sera's good shoulder as she flipped behind her. She felt warm arms wrap around her waist and steady breathing puff at her neck as something wet pressed against the junction of where her neck and shoulder met. _I don't get it, movement like that… How didn't I see that?_

"It's my win," Lavellan rasped out in a mixture of exhaustion and pain, the thick scent of her sweat clung to her skin and even smothered her natural smell. The crowd cheered and Bull roared as he announced the Inquisitor as the winner of the match then issued for everyone to break up so Ellana had a clear unobstructed path to the healer's tent. "I'm sorry if I upset you but," she gasped quietly and tried to keep her expression neutral, "Can you help me get to the tent?"

"Not upset luv," Sera looked over her shoulder and noted the blood spot from where the mage pressed her lips, "Get on my back."

"What? No I-"

"Did you forget the wager?" _Even she can't say no and be stubborn now,_ "You can 'Inquisit' me and give me orders for the day. This can be yer first order, nobody'll think yer weak." _I definitely don't. If anybody else does they're a bloody fucking retard to watch all that and not think she's strong. And nutty._ She felt the elven woman tense then relax, a slight nod. _Good,_ she tossed the dagger to the side and bent a little, her hands sliding to the back of Lavellan's hamstrings and lifting her after quite a bit of struggle. "Damn you weigh a fuck ton now."

"C-calling me fat?" Ellana mumbled sleepily in the archer's neck, _surprised she didn't pass out sooner,_ when Sera glanced over her shoulder to respond, her lips curled into a subtle smile when she saw the mage happily snoozing away. _You joked 'round coz you were happy and proud as fuck weren'tcha?_ Sera adjusted the heavy woman to grip better, _you proved it luv. Just like you said you would._

* * *

"Okay I gotta know, how the hell did you do that?"

"Do wh- _ow!_ -at?"

"You felt it too didn't you? That you could read me? But when you closed your eyes I was cut off and couldn't read anything at all anymore." Sera sat cross-legged and watched protectively as the healer's hands hovered over the mage's feet.

"Pure luck on my part and a risk I took when I finally figured out you sense by eyes."

"Tch, some risk," the archer crossed her arms, "All the bloody insane risks you take and you come out on top. Need to take you gambling," her lips curled in a proud smirk, "Always find a way to beat shit up and win." She stiffened momentarily when she pondered on the second half of the mage's sentence, "Wait, figured out that I read by eyes? You don't?" _She said sense, is there a difference between sense and read?_

"Nope," Lavellan tapped the side of her nose and grinned, teeth still stained with blood, "I read your scent remember? Plus you're really good at staring at me and not where you're going to go. No indications, nothing. You're skilled."

"No way," Sera slapped her knee in disbelief and chuckled, "You hopped over me like it's fuckin' leap frog because you _smelled_ me? Makes no sense, yer somethin' else Ena. By the way how's your stomach doing? Belly flopping the ground like that must've made you feel like you were gonna die." The mage's eyes widened and she frantically rolled up her shirt, "Are you serious? Did you fucking think you-"

"Had a really bad tummy ache," Lavellan mumbled and gently smoothed over the half-torn stitches slightly right and below her left breast, cringing and hissing at the sting, "Fenedhis lasa!"

"Can't believe you friggin' forgot," Sera muttered disapprovingly then glared at the healer, "You better close up every fucking cut she's got so she can't rip it the fuck open again." The bitterness in the archer's tone had made Ellana shrink where she sat, honest to Creators she felt guilty. She vaguely remembered Sera had stitched an intricate pattern and rushed so the mage wouldn't be in pain as long, stabbing herself with the needle by accident multiple times during the process. "A fucking tummy ache Ena? Really? Next yer gonna say 'I maybe cracked a rib' and this guy over here's gonna bloody say you broke yer entire fuckin' rib cage."

"It goes without saying you need rest for the day, Inquisitor," the healer stated as neutrally as possible knowing that Sera was just waiting for the chance she had a good reason to strangle the poor guy. For some reason he was elected to be the healer that moved closer to the sparring ring simply because he was more familiar with the dalish elf's biology and nature after working with her so many times, but this didn't help the fact that the archer had regarded him with suspicion. She wouldn't even touch the guy with a ten-foot pole, the only reason he was still alive was because Ellana was still conscious. If she passed out at any time well… Sayonara. When the mage grumbled he couldn't help but smile, "Doc's orders. You know what Sister Nightingale did last time you tried to move around even when you needed bed rest." At this Sera's interest was peaked especially when the tanned elf had suddenly looked incredibly pale, nodding slowly with a haunted look in her eyes. _This looks like somethin' I can tease 'bout later._

After the healer had finished all that he could and even managed to muster some energy to knit the split lip, he helped the disgruntled mage on Sera's back. "Can't I walk now that my feet are fine?"

"Oi, Ena. Inquisit bet remember? First order was for me to carry you on my back, which means we go back to yer room like that too."

"Besides, you really need to rest," the healer urged, "I-"

"'Kay thanks 'bud' cya later!" Sera didn't want to stay any longer than she had to and adjusted the heavy mage on her back, trying to hide her smirk as Ellana rested her chin on her good shoulder and visibly pouted. "You know I just remembered that motion tends to make you sleepy, so if that's the case you better keep yer damn eyes wide open coz you weigh like Bull when yer gone." She chuckled when she noticed the mage open her eyes as wide as saucers, _just like the first day,_ "You're so weird."

"That's why you love me."

 _Always says this so damn easily,_ Sera smirked to herself, _don't lack confidence huh?_ She whispered softly, "Yeah. Guess so." There was a question nagging her as of late, the second part anyways since Ellana had already answered the first part regarding seeing the 'ugly parts' of her and still staying. _We argue all the damn time, I mean yeah she drives me nuts but I drive her nuts too._ Without thinking she blurted out, "Why do you love me?" She froze and nearly dropped the mage, angrily kicking herself and chastising herself ruthlessly, _I'm such a fucking_ _idiot_ _!_ The sharp inhale was all she needed and she rushed up the steps into the hallway, this conversation was definitely not meant for  any ears except their own. As Ellana exhaled, the archer shuddered when the breath hit her ear and she gritted her teeth when a dull ache ebbed between her thighs, _fuck, seriously?! Now of all times?!_ Her thighs burned and she grunted with each step towards the chambers, _almost there. Drop her on the bed, bolt right the fuck out._ She bent down for the door handle but Lavellan leaned forward a little more, helping her open the door.

 _Quiet for a while, that hard for her to think of an answer huh?_ Kicking the door behind them closed and heaving up the final set of steps, the city elf nearly collapsed with relief when she saw the bed. She inwardly groaned when the ache suddenly surfaced, remembering what had happened just a couple hours ago on the bed. She positioned herself and knelt a little, allowing the mage to slide off seamlessly and without instigating any pain as she plopped on the bed. However before she could retreat as planned Ellana grabbed her wrist and roughly pulled on her so that she too fell on the bed, and on top of her. _Her fuckin' stomach is-_

"You drink too much," Lavellan muttered lowly and embraced the stunned archer's head, burying it in her bosom, "You curse too much. You have questionable morals." _What the hell?! She's insulting me?!_ Sera's muffled protests were left ignored and unheeded as the mage continued casually, "In the beginning you'd do nothing but slander me, and still do. You have the talent to send me in a blind rage with just a few words. We have the most stupid fights and yet you are everything I have  ever wanted." The archer stilled and listened intently, she could _hear_ the warm smile on Ellana's face, "You drive me crazy  all the time. But the craziest nights well… Everything crazy I do always seems to happen with you. You pick me up when I fall down and when you can't pick me up, you lie down with me." _Making me feel weird, stomach's buzzing, stupid bees, stupid honey-tongue!_ She eased her hold on Sera and cupped her chin then gently guided her to look up, "You are my strength, and strength is not a big flame for all to see. It is the flicker of an ember that whispers 'keep going.'"

Lavellan leaned lower and Sera inched up to meet her scarred lips, yet instead of the rough and wild wars they often waged this time it was tame, peaceful, and spoke louder than the more passionate exchanges. When the mage parted she continued, "Your smile is contagious," _that's yours, weirdo. It's because of you._ "The prettiest smiles hide the deepest secrets, the prettiest eyes have cried the most tears and," Ellana gently brushed her finger over the archer's sternum, "The kindest hearts have felt the most pain." At that, Sera averted her gaze and fought to contain the bitterness she so often bottled up yet for some reason, every part of her screamed to just let loose and let it all out. _Don't want her to see that. Can't._ She struggled and buried her face in the dirty shirt, inhaling deeply and smiling a little when the faint scent of charred wood was still there despite all the dirt and sweat. She trembled a little, _what the fuck is wrong with me? Always been strong, this is just what life is. Can't blame the ocean for being the fuckin' ocean, ha_ _vta_ _learn how to swim is all._

Her resolve completely shattered when Ellana whispered in her ear, "It's alright. It's okay with me." Sera chewed on her lip nervously and blinked furiously to stop the tears from escaping, _who am I kidding? She can probably-_ "I smell it, Sera. Listen to me," she cupped the archer's chin and tilted it upwards despite the stubborn resistance, "People do not cry because they are weak, it's because they have been strong for too long." _First she turns me into mush, now I'm gonna be all pasty and sticky, gross._ When she felt warm lips tenderly press against her forehead, the dam broke and she couldn't help but release the pent-up bitterness and anger holed up inside. _How the fuck did this happen?_ She thought in between sobs, _why? What for? So useless, so lame._

"Even now you're still strong-"

"Tch," Sera croaked out and laughed pathetically, "Where the fuck's all this bullshit coming from Ena?"

"Look at me," Lavellan's eyes reflected the sorrow in the razor sharp slits and her own eyelashes were damp, "You're especially strong, even now. For you, of all people, I mean I can't even begin to imagine what you went through but remember when we first met? You didn't trust anything, anybody. Now you trust me. You let me see the vulnerable side of you, the sensitive part of your soul, **fuck** Sera you shrugged it off like it was no big deal when I told you our hearts are **one**. Our souls are connected. That we're bond-mates for **life**."

"Yeah well, the no big deal thing I picked up from a certain weirdo. Learned from the best," the two chuckled half-heartedly. The archer hated depressing moods and desperately wanted to get away from this subject, but oddly enough despite all the pain and bitterness, the heart-wrenching cries, she had actually felt at peace rather than regretful and spiteful that Ellana of all people witnessed that. _You influence me just as much I do to you, you swear more often now._ At that she smirked proudly, _you say fuck a lot. And it all started with a straight face, mead, and you bein' the most clueless fucker alive. Well not really a clueless fuck anymore huh? Guess I was right when I said you secretly know how to give the best fucks and-_

"Sera," Lavellan spoke with a soft seriousness in her voice that the archer was not accustomed to hearing, "Ma vhenan'ara… What I mean to say with all of this-to show you as well since your reactions are proof-is that this is why I love you. There is no single reason, it's a combination of everything I've experienced and everything I've yet to learn about you. Some people come into your life and you just know that you would never be able to replace them if they left. You are one of them, you're special to me," _does this daft twat_ _want_ _to make me cry or what? I'm gonna get a fuckin' cavity_ _from her sweet tooth_ _, shit world's getting misty again._ The mage grinned playfully, "I knew you had a good heart when you first stitched me up. Here we are after you've stitched me up how many times now? Don't answer that, point is, my instincts  knew despite how you tried to push me away." _Why didn't my instincts know?_

"Hey, it's a good tactic. Y'know what they say, stalk 'em long enough they'll eventually marry you."

"What's marry mean?" _Oh._

 ** _FUCK_** _._

"T-that's for another day to explain," _why the fuck am I nervous? That'd_ _never_ _happen anyways._ The mage looked at her and Sera groaned, _she's got that fuckin' look in her eyes that screams 'telllll meeeee coz I gonna annoy you for the rest of yer life!' And_ _ugh_ _._ "Fine. It's like… Uh a celebration or whatever. Formal and shit, two people get married-bonded or whatever-and are partners for life. Depends who you are too, some people marry coz they'll be richer and shite."

"So we're married already then?"

 _WHAT?!_ Sera choked on her own saliva and fell into a coughing fit, she could actually feel her face on fire. "Are you insane?! Don't just say shit like that so casually, no we ain't friggin' married ye daft tit!" Her head felt dizzy and suddenly the room felt incredibly hot, her throat raw and scratchy again.

"But we're bond-mates. Marriage sounds like the human equivalent of-Sera? You look really pale."

"Actually, I'm 'bout to toss up my guts and pass the fuck out. Cya in a lil bit."

* * *

When Sera came to, she could groaned and her head hammered, _did I drink?_ She murmured softly in content when a warm wet cloth dabbed at her neck and was roused half-awake when there was a slight shake of her shoulders. "Ena?" She croaked out in confusion and a theatrical voice greeted her with a snicker.

"No, not your cute girlfriend you miserable imp."

" **Fuck**. My worst nightmare."

"That brings tears to my eyes, truly."

"You can cry? Holy fuck, here I thought I needed to aim for yer head if I ever needed to kill you since you don't have a heart."

"Snappy today aren't we sunshine?"

"Piss off," Sera groaned and rubbed her eyes with her forearm then attempted to sit up, "Shit what the hell? Did I get rammed by a boulder?"

"Something like that."

"WHAT?!" Her eyes snapped open and she was completely awake now, "Ena, where is she? Is she alright?" She fell in a series of coughs and groaned again, "Shit..."

"Relax," Dorian smirked and gently pushed her back down, "She called me up here to take a look at you. Apparently you passed out on her," he lowered with a mischievous gleam in his eyes, "After talking about marriage, hmm? Babies next?"

"Fuck I'm gonna kill her for torturing me like this," Sera's temple twitched as the tevinter mage's haughty laughter filled the chambers, "Well? Where is she?"

"She got a little too… Heated when I told her you caught a cold. Treated it like it was an apocalypse. She's gotten quite protective of you, more so than usual. How odd?"

"None of yer business. Tell her she needs to get her ass back here, she wasn't supposta move either."

"Your bed or hers?"

"Here! Damn what the hell don't the friggin' marks on my neck make it obvious Moustache?"

"Quite. You two have stirred up quite an interesting scandal, it's marvelous hearing all the gossip and rumors about you two ever since you stepped out of this sauna a couple hours ago."

"Ain't people ever seen a fuckin' hickey? This place loaded with virgins or somethin'?"

"Or something. It's got more to do with the fact that she's the Inquisitor and you're-"

"Thief? Red Jenny? That shit shouldn't matter."

"You're right, it doesn't." Dorian smirked when Sera rose her eyebrow at him skeptically, "I believe in following your heart and what you want, not what others expect of you. I know, shocking coming from me, isn't it? For what it's worth though imp, good on you. From what Bull tells me it's 'about damn time you did the deed'." He dropped the cloth in the bucket and hovered his hand over it, a soft green glow emanated inside. "In any case I've done all that I could and I'm sure the subtle Inquisitor is just outside the door wai-"

A loud crash alarmed them at the entrance of the chambers and Dorian chuckled quietly, he rose from his seat and waved goodbye to the archer as he nodded his head to Ellana who didn't even look at him as she rushed past. She wasn't being rude on purpose, she was simply focused on Sera's well being and wanted to be by her side. "Ir abelas," she breathlessly muttered, "I ran back as fast as I could after I told Josephine to see if she could secure extra stockpiles of elfroot and spindleweed and-"

"Whoa time out luv," Sera formed a T with her hands and chuckled weakly, "Slow down, take a breather and get yer ass in bed. I'm cold, not dying. And you are supposta be on bed rest."

"I know but I-"

"Bed. **Now**."

Dorian chuckled quietly below the stairs, "And here I thought the Inquisitor was the one with the whip."

"Oi stuff it Moustache and get the fuck outta here before I stuff ya with arrows!" Sera grinned and even with her hoarse and strained voice she had still managed to tease playfully. She looked at the confused mage and shook her head to signal not to bother asking, she patted the spot beside her. "C'mon I'm cold."

"Why did you get sick? Why didn't you tell me when we fought and-"

"Whoa hold on I didn't friggin' know. Had a scratchy throat yeah but I just figured coz it's so damn dry up here and I don't bust my ass in a ring every day." _Shoulda known that'd happen when I was arse-naked on the balcony though. Stupid move on my part._ The archer lifted the blankets and Ellana slipped inside, "You gonna be alright? You'll get sick too. Make sure you don't kiss me while yer being a perv watching me sleep."

"It's not a problem."

"It will be."

"And when it will, it still won't be a problem," Lavellan proved her point by cupping the archer's chin and tilted her head back, swiftly capturing the protesting lips with ease. Warmth seeped into Sera's body and filled every nook and cranny of her bones and muscles, she grinned sloppily as she tiredly reciprocated the kiss. "I'm sorry," she whispered guiltily, "Something like this, I should have been able to smell but I-"

"Ain't yer fault. Seriously it's just a tiny cold, won't kill me. Everyone gets 'em, you do too. Which by the way try not to ever get fucking sick ever again, instead of y'know, being cold? Yeah you burn the fuck up and make the damn room a sauna. Damn near steamed my skin right off when I touched ya."

"You were the one that took care of me? I vaguely remember the healer saying-"

"I got the shite for him, he made the mix, and because you couldn't friggin' drink it I had to..." Sera trailed off and mumbled the rest guiltily, "Well. Help you drink it. Anyways," hastily switching topics before the mage would pry for more information she tucked in closer and reached for the warm arm to drape around her waist, "Keep me warm and I'll be better in no time luv. Better yet," she said as jokingly as possible despite the scratchy voice, "Make me sweat like crazy and I'll be fine in a couple minutes." _Fuck that sounds wrong. Ugh I was s_ _'posto_ _explain shite and show her tonight too, damn this cold better be gone soon._ She shivered but not because of the cold, but rather the way Lavellan leaned towards her ear and whispered affectionately. The heat slowly creeping up her neck and to her cheeks had nothing to do with the mage's warmth.

" _I love you, ma emma sa'lath._ _Sleep well._ "


	22. It Only Takes a Second

****Hope you** **don't** **enjoy, cheers mates!****

 ** **AN** **:**** Just to be safe, this is the third chapter after I released the last two relatively close to each other. So there is Chapter 20 "Tenacious Truth", 21 "True Strength", and now this one. Sometimes I don't get an email alert or it comes really late when I update my chapters so there you have it.

Now by no means do I mean to character bash Vivienne, though I'll admit she's not my most favorite of all characters I certainly don't dislike her either. The thing is I imagine her personality would definitely clash with Ellana's (especially their views on magic as well as freedom for mages). However, Lavellan respects her because she 'smells strong' (no Sera, not stinky), and acknowledges that she is a very powerful woman. Think of their relationship as a rivalry 'friendship' and that should make most of their clashing make sense :)

 **Warning:** I'll be blunt so there's no surprises. There are torture scenes in this chapter and that's also how the chapter ends. If you are easily bothered as such then pay attention to the line "I'll keep you safe, 'ma vhenan. No matter what." After that, it's nothing but bad and the beginning of the next chapter will probably start off the same.

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _Ir abelas:_ I'm sorry

 _'Ma vhenan:_ My heart

 _Ar tu na'din:_ I will kill you

 _Ma halam:_ You are finished

 _Shem'alas:_ dirty human

* * *

 **It Only Takes a Second**

* * *

"Ugh..." Sera woke up nearly drenched, she looked over her shoulder at the person responsible, "Ena wake up," she reached behind and weakly nudged the mage's hip, "Shit when I said make me sweat like crazy I didn't mean turn me into Lake Sera." She nudged again and cussed under her breath, _tiny cold my arse, feel like that boulder danced on me._ Kicking off the sheets she forced herself to turn in the warm embrace, _ugh she'll never wake up even if I pushed her off the damn bed._ Still, she had no other option, "Ena," she covered her mouth with her forearm and coughed, _if she gets sick because of me it'll be all over. Might as well try to sleep while_ _on_ _fire._ Despite feeling unwell, she couldn't help but smirk at the way the mage looked, drool trickling down the corner of her mouth and lips spread in a sloppy grin.

 _Good dream huh?_ Lavellan snored softly and the archer reached over, gently scratching her scalp and chuckling when the grin grew. _Fun to watch you too, already know I'm a perv though._ It had occurred to her when she smoothed her thumb over the faint scar on Ellana's forehead she 'acquired' way back in Haven that Sera had been there for almost everything. She's seen all the expressions, all the anguish, pain, but also all the times of happiness, curiosity, and… _That._ She grinned mischievously about the morning, _she lost herself again, felt fucking amazing too._ Leaning forward she gave a brief kiss and snickered quietly when she accidentally caught drool, she wiped her lips and stared in bewilderment when the mage had actually stirred. _Oh right, just like Redcliffe. Daft tit won't even wake up if ya smack her 'cross the head but no problem if it's kissing._ The elven woman blearily blinked and propped herself higher on her elbow, grinning tiredly and mumbling.

"Mornin'," Ellana slurred, "Sweet dreams?" _Morning?_ Sera quickly checked outside and chuckled.

"Sun's setting now, we probly slept only a couple hours."

"Huh?" The mage squinted and blinked outside, "Oh..." Her nose wrinkled and within seconds she had been wide awake and fully alert, her eyes shot to Sera in concern, _huh what?_ "You're getting worse."

"Feel it," the archer grumbled and watched how Lavellan hastily rolled off the bed, _huh?_ "O-oi slow down you can't move so much either remember?"

"I'm fine," Ellana lifted the bucket where Dorian had dropped off the cloth and cast so that the water had been imbued with some sort of immune-boosting agent, "Roll on your back, I'll wipe you down." Her eyebrows furrowed with worry when the city elf had grunted as she slowly inched herself on her back. "I thought you said tiny cold," anger and frustration simmered in the coal eyes as she wrung the cloth and gently pressed it to Sera's neck.

"Thought so too," Sera murmured in content, _never had anyone take care of me like this before._ _Always had to look out for myself,_ her eyes shuttered close, "Still okay." _Not so bad though, guess this is alright every now and then._

"I have an Inquisit order for you," _now?! The hell does she think I can do-_ "I order you to get better."

"Roger that Boss," the archer's lips curled upwards when she could hear the playfulness in the warm voice, _she's getting better with jokes too. Ones on purpose anyways since she's a freaking walking joke herself sometimes._ When the cloth wiped her face and neck it dipped lower to her chest and she sighed when she felt the light tingle settled between her legs, _here we go… Soon she'll turn me on just by_ _being_ _'round me then I'll always be fuckin' nuts._ Opening her eyes she saw the concern firmly etched in the smoldering eyes and she lightly brushed her fingers along the back of Ellana's hand, drawing her attention and intense gaze. She grinned reassuringly, "I'll be okay Ena. Really. Know I sound like a dying goat right now and sweatin' a bit more but I'm fine. Besides the sweat's yer damn fault, s'like sleeping beside a fire with you." _There we go,_ at the mention of fire the coal eyes flickered with excitement, _so easy to make you happy. Wouldn't have you any other way, weirdo._

The way the fingers would occasionally dart out from the cloth and brush along her skin had made the light tingle grow stronger and stronger until it was a dull ache. Sera groaned weakly when she noticed the way the amber specks glowed brighter, _how the hell can she smell_ _that_ _already? Must reek of icky shite too after all._ Part of her had anticipated what was to come, the other part actually didn't want it. _Two times and I haven't done a damn thing for her,_ a low moan slipped past her lips when she felt the warm hands roll up her shirt and the damp cloth that gently wiped her stomach. _Normally I'd be friggin' happy but this ain't fair to her, and she needs to get what the hell this means._ When the cloth traveled underneath her shirt for her ribs, she inhaled sharply when she felt Ellana's thumb brush the side of her breast. _Fuck, is she doing this to me on purpose? Too friggin' weak to do anything._

Satisfied with her work and giving the archer another once-over, Lavellan dropped the cloth back in the bucket and hopped on the bed, "Do you need anything at all? Hungry, thirsty?" _She's struggling,_ Sera looked down and noted how the mage kept flexing her fingers and rubbing her palms along her pants. _Her eyes,_ had that exact look where anything more and the mage would be pushed over the edge, her hoarse voice an exact indicator of what she had really been thinking of. Her gaze dipped down more than once and Sera sighed. _I need to get myself under control too. Fuck never thought I'd ever say that..._

"I'm alright, but you look like yer 'bout to go nuts. Bring the sheets over that'll help mask the smell."

"I can do it, I said I'd prove it and-"

"Proved it at the ring luv, if you could snap outta that then you don't gotta worry here. Look at me," Sera grinned at the nervous eyes, _trusts everyone, everything,_ _but_ _herself. I trust me and her, nothing else._ "Really, I wouldn't care and usually I'd say go for it, knock us both the hell out. But thing is I wanna do that for  you so you can actually get it and enjoy too, yeah?" She coughed lightly and patted the spot beside her, "I'll get better in no time, and when I do," her eyes flashed then darkened much like the clouded orbs as she grinned mischievously, "It'll be **my** turn to have fun." _Looks calmer now, guess that helped._ She turned on her side and patted the spot behind her, _never liked cuddling too…_ "Come on what are you waiting for?" Her ears throbbed with warmth when the mage eagerly took her designated position and draped her arm around, tucking as closely as possible. _Seriously, is she trying to make us come together?_ She snickered quietly, _didn't even mean that one but that could be so fuckin' wrong. Or right._ As she drifted back in peaceful slumber with Lavellan mumbling incoherently in her skin, the archer's lips spread in a proud grin. _We've come a long way. Changed lots, for the better._

* * *

Small puffs of air hit her neck as she slowly stirred out of her deep slumber. Ellana blinked slowly and looked confused to see a tuft of gold tucked below her chin, her sleep-addled mind tried to solve the mystery despite the thick fog that blanketed it. _I'm… Growing a beard like the durgen'len?_ When she angled her head lower it was then she had been slapped in the face with the scent of mead mixed with some sort of tangy sweetness, and noted the overwhelming pressure of something wrapped around her waist. _Sera?_ Her lips automatically spread in a radiant smile, _just like the time when we got out of the cave,_ the lean arms clutched around her had made her want to bounce with joy. _She doesn't usually hug me, not like this anyways,_ it hadn't helped that the archer had surprisingly looked peaceful despite being sick. _Wait,_ Lavellan took a tentative whiff in the air, _the cold is going away already?_

 ** _Besides the sweat's yer damn fault, s'like sleeping beside a fire with you._**

The mage smiled proudly, _I actually got to help her,_ she pressed her lips atop Sera's head and inhaled deeply, the scent had always filled her with vigor and excitement. _Didn't think she'd seriously sweat it all out that fast._ Remembering how soothing and at peace she felt when the archer would scratch her scalp, she slowly rose her hand so as not to rouse Sera awake and wove her fingers in the blonde locks. It was then she missed that she had to keep her nails very short so as not to cut her palms, especially since if she wanted to cut somebody the hemp rope she wrapped around her hands and a good jab would get the job done. Alas unlike her, the archer was quite a light sleeper and easily aroused. The clouded brown-green slits lazily shuttered open and shut before they came into focus, narrowing into keen slits as they peered back at Ellana. "Hey," she murmured and her lips curled into a weary smile, "Watching me again?"

"Yes," Lavellan gave a quick peck on the archer's forehead and felt proud when the tired smile grew into a lopsided smirk. "Your cold is mostly gone, it looks like you really did sweat most of it out before it got worse."

"Mm..." Sera tucked back under the mage's chin and shifted closer, "Good innit? Back to sleep." Ellana nodded despite feeling slightly disappointed, there was a strange humming traveling along her nerves especially when she felt the archer's breaths hit her collarbone in light little puffs. _It almost feels like when-_ she stiffened when a mental image of Sera naked flashed in her mind's eye and the thrumming got stronger, along with the peculiar dull ache at the junction of her thighs. The tension in her muscles was all the city elf needed to sense something was wrong and looked up, but before she could ask there were muffled knocks at the chamber doors.

"Come in!" Lavellan called out, "It's open!" _Smells like Sister Nightingale,_ the two elves share a confused look and shrugged, reluctantly untangling themselves as the armored footsteps made it's way up the stairs. When Leliana saw the two still struggling to figure out how in the world they even ended up in the position they were in, she casually sat on the couch and watched with an amused look on her face. "Why do I even have so many blankets?"

"Yer askin' me," Sera grumbled, "Surprised you haven't burned them up with how hot you friggin' are," she weakly wrestled with one of the sheets that was somehow woven around their feet and huffed, though the sickness was fading her muscles still felt achy.

"Ir abelas Sister Nightingale," Ellana glanced over her shoulder, "Please give us a moment." Leliana rose her hand and nodded signaling it was more than fine, and if the coy smile was any indication she was most definitely enjoying the entertaining scene as the two elves got frustrated and bested by bed sheets. "Fenedhis lasa! Enough of this!"

"Wait Ena don't!" It had been too late, the mage lowered and used her teeth to tear the sheet then pulled as roughly as she could with her hands, the fabric immediately engulfed by flames but remarkably extinguished before they traveled down to the bed. "Ugh, I still need those you know!"

"You don't need blankets when you have me," Lavellan grunted then finally freed herself, she missed the way Sera's ears glowed with red and scooted over to the edge of the bed. Oblivious about the implications of the scene her tone had easily slipped into business and matter-of-fact, "How may I help you Sister Nightingale?"

"Actually, I've two urgent reports for you. One regarding your clan and one regarding the warden in Crestwood. Which would-"

"My clan! Are they okay?"

"Yes, and my agents have discovered that the men who attacked your clan were not bandits, but mercenaries bought and paid for by Duke Antoine of Wycome. He fully supports the Inquisition in public and donates generously to our coffers but… We don't know why he has an issue with the dalish." Leliana noted the troubled look on the mage's face, seemingly conflicted as to what to do, "There are two ways to handle the man. It's risky but I can send assassins to deal with him, however Josephine has assured me she could send a diplomat to resolve things peacefully." The Spymaster had fully prepared and even expected Lavellan to eagerly jump on her offer for vengeance, yet instead watched as the puzzled elf actually contemplated on what to do.

Ellana glanced over at Sera then closed her eyes, _this man threatened the safety of my clan and should pay the same price in kind but… He supports the Inquisition, and by doing that he knows a dalish elf is the leader. A personal vendetta against the dalish makes no sense._ She had wished she could see this with her own eyes, to protect her clan. To navigate in the shadows, call the shots from the sidelines, it just didn't feel right. She sighed and decided to take the what she deemed the bigger risk, "See what this diplomat can do, with luck if she is unable to resolve the situation then we can send the assassins and hope we make it in time."

"At once Inquisitor," Leliana nodded and smiled proudly, relieved to see that the mage's orders were not something involving blowing up palaces for just to make sure the Duke was dead. And… That she had surprisingly taken a diplomatic route for once. "As for Hawke's warden contact in Crestwood, I've received this note by messenger bird from Scout Harding," she stood and handed the note to the mage who hastily snatched it out of her hands.

"What's it say?" Sera peered over the elven woman's shoulder to read the note as well.

 ** _Inquisitor,_**

 ** _Hawke's Warden friend is somewhere here. Disappeared before we could talk to him. He's good. Be careful on the road – lots of undead. People here need our help. Explain more once you're here._**

 ** _Harding_**

 _Undead?_ Ellana felt her stomach churn, _I had my fair share at the Fallow Mire._ Nodding, she abruptly stood and strode to her desk, "We leave immediately."

"What?! Now? Luv the sun's set and-"

"You're staying. You're still recovering."

" **Fuck. No.** Yer still recovering too and you are  not leaving me behind to go blow yerself up," the two elves glared heatedly at each other and the Spymaster slowly backed away, the tension in the room was ready to explode any second. Lavellan averted her gaze and wrapped her hands with the rope then tucked the loose ends in. When she noticed the city elf scoot to the edge of the bed and prepare to stand she spoke as sternly as she could manage.

"You're staying. That's an order."

"Fuck your orders! Red help me up!" _When she is stubborn, she's worse than I am._

"Sera," taking long strides, she was beside the archer in seconds, " _Please_."

"I ain't a fuckin' housewife, got it? I've lived and survived worse. You said it yerself that the cold's mostly gone." _She'll find a way to follow me regardless._ "I'm coming, end of story." An exaggerated cough brought their attention to the Spymaster.

"Inquisitor, while you gear up who would you like me to inform to meet with you at the stables?"

Ellana looked at the city elf still glaring at her and sighed, _I'll need people she'll actually cooperate with and people who can handle swarms of undead._ "Bull," _he's always up for a good fight and he can get Sera out of there if we get in trouble. But who else?_ "And..." _And who?_ She had contemplated on Dorian and she sincerely did like the man, but death magic paired with walking dead was bound to make her sick if that's all she would smell in the air. Varric was always fun to be around but by the time he'd load his bolt and shoot he'd be swarmed. She felt uncomfortable around Blackwall since there was something about his smell that seemed off, _perhaps the taint Wardens have? We aren't dealing with darkspawn here either,_ she tapped her chin and hummed thoughtfully. For some reasons the word 'smell' and 'strong' were in her mind, and she also felt like she had been forgetting someone else on top of these disconnected words. _Oh right! Her!_ "And my damn fur."

Leliana looked at her with a look of complete and utter confusion, "My… Damn fur?" She echoed the words in her mind and then realization dawned on her along with a smile she couldn't stop. "Madame de Fer?"

"That's what I said," _she smells really strong, and maybe…_ Ellana smirked and chuckled lowly causing the other two women in the room to be alert… And worried if they needed to find cover. _Maybe we can even have a little contest on who can burn more?_ "It's rather late to get up-"

"Damn straight," Sera interjected grumpily, "More like really fuckin' early. What time is it anyways Red?"

"Last I checked the clock before coming here it read 2:34 A.M."

"You read the note as well, Sera. There are people who need our help and we must leave immediately. In any case, let Bull and My-damn-fur have half an hour to wake up and get ready, we'll meet at the stables at 3:30 then."

"At once, Inquisitor," Leliana bowed and turned sharply on her heel, exiting swiftly and leaving the two elves alone. Sensing the archer's cheerfulness-or rather lack thereof-Ellana gently grasped her wrists and pulled her into a warm embrace.

"I still think you need to rest."

"Could say the same 'bout you. We're in this together, ain't going nowhere without me. Besides," Sera gave the elven woman a brief peck on the lips then grinned, "Someone's gotta babysit ya so you don't blow yourself up."

"I get that Sera, but these are undead. You're sick. Even these things make me sick when I'm perfectly okay, you weren't there at Fallow Mire and-"

"Look, we're both stubborn. But difference between you and me is that I just don't ever take no for an answer. You can blow flames out yer arse, bribe me with mead, fuck me all the time, don't matter I'm still coming." _Fuck her all the time?_ Before she could ask the archer kissed her with a little more force and tenderly ran her tongue along the scar on the corner of Ellana's lip from their sparring match. "Don't leave me behind weirdo," she whispered softly, "Promised remember? Besides I'd get nutty sitting here wondering what's on out there, you would too I bet."

"Without a doubt," Lavellan nodded adamantly then sighed as she caved in, "Alright, but you have to promise me you'll be careful and if you need anything at all-"

"I promise. And you'll be the first to know, alright?"

"Alright," Ellana smiled warmly, "I love you, ma emma sa'lath." It never occurred to her that any time she said those words the archer's breath would hitch…

And merely kiss her back.

* * *

"Boss, you sure Red told the lady to meet up here? What's taking her so damn long," Bull crossed his arms and leaned against the stable walls, "Pretty sure it's been an hour already." He sighed when he looked over to the two elves, both quiet but very clearly furious about the unusual wait as well. Finally, Ellana was the first to break the silence and rise from her seat on the crate and she stomped off, "Boss?"

"I'm going to drag her here by the fucking ankles if I have to! This is ridiculous," Lavellan seethed then angrily glared when the familiar scent filtered in her nose. Her head shot in the direction of the smell and her eyes narrowed as the composed orlesian mage descended the stairs who simultaneously fixed wrinkles on her robes. "My-damn-fur! What took you so long? You were supposed to be here an hour ago!"

"My dear you cannot rush perfection," Vivienne replied coolly, "Also, it is properly Mada-" She stopped herself when Ellana sharply spun on her heel and stormed back to the horses, she gave a sort of a half shrug as she followed along and ignored the disgruntled looks. Lavellan took the archer's hand and hopped up to settle on the saddle behind Sera, tucking in closely and wrapping her arms around the archer's waist.

"Just don't fall asleep before we make it to the gate luv," Sera glanced behind and chuckled when the mage innocently rested her chin on the archer's shoulder, "Get comfy and you'll snooze before we even move."

"I'm not gonna sleep," the tired slur had already tinged her tone and only made Sera grin wider, "I do this because you smell nice."

"Uh huh. Babies lie better than you luv."

"Come on~" Ellana whined and intentionally ignored the archer's tease, "Let's move!"

"That eager to sleep?"

"I'm not gonna-" As soon as Sera pressed her heels in the horse to signal a gentle trot, the motion lulled the mage and fatigue instantly blanketed her mind. "Not gonna..." She scooted closer and hugged the archer tighter, unaware that Sera and Bull had been teasing and laughing at her, "Gonna sleep..." Her eyes flickered shut and her forehead slid down to rest between the lean shoulder blades. "Sleep..." As she drifted off in her peaceful slumber and soothed by the archer's scent, she just barely registered the affectionate whisper.

" _Sweet dreams, weirdo_."

* * *

"This has got to be a fucking joke!" The harsh storm beat down mercilessly on the party and Sera had trouble with her footing, she was either constantly sinking in mud or even worse tripping on leftover bodies that had surprisingly stayed dead. Her eyes trailed to the mage darting to and fro, _playing leap frog with fucking dead shite too, not normal!_ She smoothed her hair bangs out of her face and reached into her quiver, nocking and releasing the arrow in one fluid motion. "Why the fuck couldn't we take a break before we charged in muck and rotten shit?!" One of the corpses had somehow managed to sneak up behind the archer, the heavy rain masked even it's foul stench. Bull rushed over and sliced it down the middle then kicked it away to pull his axe out, "Shit," Sera glanced over, "Thanks, owe ya one."

"More than one," the qunari grinned, "You heard the scout and Boss, village needs our help. Looks like it'll be a long night for you and her," he thumbed to the thoroughly displeased orlesian mage, "Betcha she's more pissed than you, just doin' a better job hiding it."

"Tch this'll be a good lesson for the queen of friggin' snobs. Now she knows savin' the world ain't fairy tales and rainbows," Sera released an arrow nearby the fire mage and was appalled to see that it was still moving despite the clean head shot, "That's not fuckin' normal! How the hell is it still moving?!"

"It's already dead Sera, aim for parts to cripple these bastards instead," Bull rushed off to tackle the swarm threatening to overwhelm Ellana and the archer nervously chewed her lip, releasing arrow after arrow in the legs. Her stomach churned at the abnormal shrieking and guttural screams as the corpses clawed through the muck to meet their doom as if it'd spare them misery. The worst was trying to shoot the ones near the elven woman who's rapid movement made it difficult to predict whether she'd accidentally step in the arrow's path or not.

"Fuckin' nightmare," Sera spat and wrinkled her nose in disgust as the flames chewing decaying flesh smothered the air. Weary from lack of sleep since their last break to camp before arriving at crestwood was weighing heavily on her mind yet she kept her mouth shut. With the cold still lingering in her system she had been exhausted every four hours or so, and it had only been a couple hours since she had taken a quick nap. Finally clearing the last of the corpses, they approached the village guards standing at the gates and asked for an update to which they directed the party to the mayor. The wardens they had met earlier urged them to help the village and they weren't kidding that the people needed help, as they walked up the path Sera could sense the dalish mage becoming agitated with the current state of things. She looked around and saw nothing but hopelessness and the scent of fear was so thick in the air that even normal people would be able to smell it.

When they talked to the mayor Sera walked behind the elven woman and whispered behind her head so that the man wouldn't suspect a thing, "Something's up with him Ena." She noted the way the coal eyes glanced over at her and a slight nod, "Think he's hiding somethin'." Half expecting the mage to lift the man by the collar and demand answers directly, she tilted her head in confusion when Lavellan instead agreed to fix the dam controls. When they walked out and were sure to be out of the man's earshot she had to know, "Surprised you didn't toss his ass 'round like a ragdoll 'til he squealed."

"We need to get to the rift as soon as possible before this village is overrun by those things," Ellana looked over her shoulder and grinned wolfishly, "I fully intend to make him talk when we come back. He reeks of guilt."

"Demeanor as well," Vivienne chipped in once she figured out what the two elves were talking about, "And his speech. He avoided eye contact when he told you about the controls, Inquisitor. We may wish to prepare ourselves." She stared annoyingly at the mud caking her boots as they trekked downhill towards their next objective, the orlesian mage's patience was rapidly dwindling with this place and it had barely been an hour since they've arrived.

"For what?" The dalish mage shrugged, "We'll fight one way or another, only way to 'prepare' is to kill whatever tries to kill us. First things first, we take over this bandit fortress," she cracked her knuckles and grinned, "My blood's boiling already. A whole fortress..."

"Try not to blow up our only way out this time luv," Sera smirked, "Leave some for me."

"Me too Boss!"

"Am I the only one slightly worried?" Vivienne muttered, "It's an entire fortress, we can't blindly charge in without-" she paused when Ellana rested her palm on the gates and noted how the other two casually slid into cover behind the walls. An orange glow emanated beneath the mage's palm and suddenly massive force and explosive heat blew the gates forward, the doors crushed the guards standing in it's path. "Inquisitor w-"

"Word of advice lady," Sera drew an arrow and released it, whooping loudly when she got one of the archers. She grinned wildly when she looked at the disgruntled orlesian mage, "Ena 'blindly charges'. Should know that by now after that stupid palace."

"You cannot be serious," Vivienne unholstered her staff and immediately got to work by creating multiple trap runes of several elements, "Perhaps that's why Haven lays in ruins now." Had it not been the sudden influx of guards that came rushing towards them the orlesian mage would have found herself in a life or death situation, despite the cold and heavy rain pouring down on them the heat that radiated off Lavellan was enough to make the ones close to her yelp and scramble away from her.

"Knew you were a bitch, now I know yer fuckin' stupid too," Sera seethed yet kept her focus on the battle, "You weren't there, didn't see what happened. Wanna live? I suggest you keep yer mouth shut." She searched along the battlements for a vantage point she could use and melted in the shadows, rushing up the steps and setting up in her new position. Still within earshot of Ellana she muttered as she hailed arrows from above, "Don't pay attention to that idiot Ena. She's just like all the other dumbass nobles from the palace, dunno why you brought her along." It was too late, the mage had already gone into a state of blind rage from both the jab mixed with frustration over the battle and all her energy was spent on reducing the field to craters and rubble. Men screamed in agony as they were chewed apart by the unforgiving fire and begged for mercy, but the elven woman paid no mind and simply moved to the next man. "Shit, glad I came up here," the archer trained her next arrow for a sniper hiding in cover and released it as soon as the man stood to fire at Lavellan.

"Know I won't get my arse burnt to a crisp at least." The archer was suddenly grabbed and pulled back with a cloth covering her mouth along with a large arm choking the air out of her neck, she hadn't been able to utter a single sound. She slackened her grip on her bow and reached for her dagger behind her hip but her fingers unsheathed nothing but air, the cloth dropped from her mouth and she felt incredibly lightheaded. Whatever substance coated the cloth was incredibly potent and Sera's weakened system made things even worse, her mind screamed internally yet her sluggish body refused to listen to any commands. It was like being encased in ice and all she could do was watch.

"Lookin' for this?" The bandit leader chuckled and waved her dagger in front of her face, "Whaddya say honey, would ye rather get yer ass burnt or throat slit?" His arm tightened, "Or snap yer neck? How 'bout me buddies an' I ask yer _hospitable_ friends?" The man gestured with his head and several snipers set up nearby, all their arrows trained at the party still below the steps and unaware what was happening. Lavellan frantically searched the field for the archer and panicked when she could vaguely hear the man's voice who howled with laughter, "Too late babe, up here! Damn if only ye noticed one second earlier eh?"

Ellana's head whipped up and her eyes widened with fear as her body rooted to her spot, "Let her go or I swear I **will** kill you!"

"Tough talk from a bitch who's 'bout to see this knife-ear's guts spilled," the leader looked at the snipers then back at the bloodied trio responsible for countless deaths of his men. "Drop yer weapons and surrender if you don't want to see my hand slip," the man grinned sadistically as he held the dagger at the limp archer's throat. "I'm offerin' you a way out babe, see all these snipers? One wrong move that I don't like and yer gon' have more than one hole for me to fuck," he cackled like a hyena and noted the way steam rose from the mage's skin. "Feisty one ain'tcha? Like that, gonna be fun taming this wild beast."

"Inquisitor," Vivienne whispered lowly, "If we drop our weapons we all die. If we fight, she dies. I strongly advise we retreat so we can-"

"What?!" Lavellan's paralyzed muscles immediately thawed and she stomped towards the orlesian mage, " **Fuck. That.** " She glanced at Bull then back at Sera who was still dazed and motionless in the bandit's hold. Her eyes scanned the multiple snipers and she cursed quietly, "Fuck even if I run up those stairs..."

"You will die without a doubt. It'll be a suicide run," Madame de Fer muttered, "We need to draw back and form-"

"Fine!" Ellana ignored the woman and shouted so that the leader could hear her, "We'll drop our weapons and surrender!" She glared at the orlesian mage, "Drop. Your. Staff." Bull already knew what was going to happen and was waiting for the order, he reluctantly dropped his axe then rose his hands in the air. Vivienne however, stared sternly and didn't flinch at the dalish mage's heated glare. "I would never sacrifice anyone just to save myself," Lavellan whispered vehemently, "I promise you that wherever they take us, we will escape and I will personally kill every single man here. For now, we surrender. Drop your staff." She unwrapped the hemp rope tied around her hands and threw it beside the qunari's axe, mimicking Bull and raising her hands in the air. Glaring at the orlesian mage from the corner of her eye, Vivienne sighed and tossed her staff in the pile of abandoned weapons then rose her arms. Several of the remaining bandits descended like vultures and one by one they were knocked out unconscious using the same substance-coated cloth that incapacitated Sera. Ellana's eyes remained on the limp city elf and before darkness greeted her she whispered, "I'll keep you safe, 'ma vhenan. No matter what."

* * *

"This is what happens when you charge in blindly dear, if you had kept-"

"Shut up..." _Don't you think I know that?_

"A clear mind, you'd have noticed what happened earlier and-"

"What part of shut up don't you get?" _Maybe you're right that Haven's in ruins because of me, but there's no way I'm going to let that happen to us. Over. My. Dead. Body._

"In any case," Vivienne tested the binds that tied her wrists to the two back limbs of the chair and ankles to the two front, "How do you propose we escape when we cannot? By the time the Inquisition gets suspicious and sends a search party, we'll be dead." _I want to burn her mouth shut._ Vivienne frowned when the coal eyes finally fell on her, they had pure feral anger brewing in the depths of them and instead tried a different route, "Do you have any magic left?"

"No, I'm completely drained for some reason. Don't even have smoke left," Ellana murmured tiredly and fought not to close her eyes, her depleted source of energy had made her muscles stiff and aching. For some reason she had been situated in front of her three companions, _maybe they know I'm the Inquisitor?_ If not glaring at or bickering with Vivienne, she had watched for signs of the archer waking up so she would be the first to comfort her and assure her everything would be alright. _No matter what happens I'll do anything to keep her safe. She doesn't need to go through any more hardship than she already has. I knew I should have convinced her to stay home._

"They either have a mage or templar, or both." Vivienne noted then glanced at the sluggish qunari, "And whatever that wretched cloth is soaked in is enough to keep him incapacitated."

"Why are we fine then? Sort of," the mage glanced over her shoulder then above at the ceiling, the dim and dank room reeked of blood and there were old stains left unwashed. What made her stomach twist and churn were the meat hooks situated above her, the metallic smell radiated strongest from them. Lingering fear and agony in the atmosphere from what seemed to be past captives seeped out of the walls, slowly she had begun to wonder how that was even possible. _Maybe they were released not too long ago?_

"They either used whatever they did on him longer or something more potent. And… It seems to me they wanted you awake as soon as possible."

"For what purpose? Negotiations you think?" Lavellan saw the way the orlesian mage's eyes softened to something she hadn't recognized in her, and smelled her next lie as her tongue grew thick. Her attempts to wrestle the tight rope binds off were futile and her arms had been fatigued from the awkward position they were pulled back in. The more she struggled, the worse the burning pain felt when the rope dug in and bit flesh.

"I don't know dear… I'm not sure if it's for negotiations." Before the dalish mage could demand truthful answers the door behind her was kicked open and the hinges groaned and creaked as it slid back shut. Heavy footsteps filled the silence and Ellana rotated as far as she could able to get a better look at the new presence, something about the smell made her instincts scream at her to get away. Without warning her head snapped to the side and sharp pain wracked the side of her jaw, blood immediately pooled in her mouth and she spat it out. When she whirled to glare at her attacker the man grinned sadistically and cracked his knuckles, his rotten brown teeth made Lavellan's stomach twist as a wave of nausea swept her.

"Git to have fun wit ya," his breath was even worse than the blood and decaying corpses itself, "Boss says I don't havta hold back," he knelt in front of her and reeled back when she spat in his face, recoiling in anger he drives an uppercut to her chin and looms over her. "Tough bitch, ain't gon' make a sound? Don't worry sweetie," the rotten teeth showed again as the man unsheathed a small knife from his belt then pressed it into the hollow dip of her collarbone. "You'll be screaming when this night is through. **My** favorite kind of screaming," he sank the tip in and his eyes lit up with glee at the sight of red pooling around, chuckling darkly at the heated glare the mage shot him. _This is all he's got? His breath is worse._

"What do you want from me?"

"Haven't you been listening?" The torturer purposefully breathed on her and she moved her head away, _fenedhis I'm going to hurl._ "I want you to **scream**. And yer buddies," he thumbed behind him, "Are going to enjoy it like me."

"Don't be absurd," Vivienna scoffed, "Only savage _animals_ would consider this appalling torture as enjoyable. Worse than darkspawn. Despicable." Her stern gaze never wavered when the man walked over to her and roughly grabbed her chin, yet her grimace was notable even with her stoic expression when he breathed on her. _Torture?_ Ellana's stomach sank, _didn't Bull tell me a story about that when he was captured once?_ If she remembered right, which she knew she did for puking was her phobia and she expelled all stomach contents that day, the qunari spoke in great detail while he was training her. His anger was evident and when he had punched the worn down tree she had been practicing her kicks on it literally fell over from the mere force. _He warned mental trauma was worse than physical, I need to stay strong for everyone._

When the man rose his hand to strike the orlesian mage Lavellan panicked, "Leave her alone! I'll do what you want!" He glanced over his shoulder and grinned, relief filled her when he relaxed and lowered his hand. Then without warning he rose it and smacked Vivienne as hard as he could, the woman herself was caught by surprise and gasped. The elven woman snapped completely and rage easily clouded her mind, "Fenedhis lasa! Ar tu na'din, ma halam shem'alas!" The man's sadistic cackles infuriated Ellana and she lunged at him but the chair was bolted to the ground, the abrasive ropes drew blood from her wrists.

"Inquisitor," Vivienne whispered as the dalish mage continued her hail of elven curses, "I'm alright, stay calm this is what satisfies him and what he wants you to do. Do not give the man the pleasure he seeks. We must endure until we have our chance to escape." _But he hurt you!_ Ellana looked pleadingly at her when her words filtered in the thick fog of red and glanced at the limp archer, she was on the verge of willingly embracing her anger so that she might get lucky and get some semblance of magic or strength back to fight. The torturer walked back and pressed the tip of the blade in hollow dip of her left collarbone then dragged it along the ridge, grinning wildly when the mage yelped.

"I said I want screams bitch, not girly squeaks. You fuckin' dalish? Tattooed up the ass," he chuckled when he slid his thumb along her cheek and she reeled away, repulsed by his touch. "Too bad, yer real pretty. Coulda earned good coin if ya behaved and spread yer legs." _What the hell is he talking about?!_ Lavellan squeezed her eyes shut and repeated Vivienne's words in her head, _he's doing this on purpose to get a rise out of me. Bull warned me mental trauma is the worst._ "Don't got no fuel huh? Saw how you burned Danny and Sven," he squeezed her chin between his thumb and index and roughly yanked her to look at him, "They were my best friends whore. You didn't give a shit when they begged for mercy." The dalish mage averted her gaze guiltily, _best friends…_ Her anger flared, _they're bandits! I had every right to!_

 ** _You didn't give a shit when they begged for mercy._**

"Just tryin' to make a living, not everyone's got a fancy ass castle and goat roasts. Our shit don't sparkle like yours." _So they do know who I am..._

"By stealing? Murdering? Kidnapping? There are other choices. Better choices, an honest living." _You could have joined the Inquisition, helped us fight. Over my dead body now that you've hurt my friends._

"Yeah," the man scoffed, "If you're living in a fairy tale. This is reality sweetie," he dragged the blunt end of the blade down her right bicep, "End of the world anyways with all these fuckin' demons and dead bodies running 'round. Might as well take what we want, enjoy life before we die. Life here's good, Boss knows how to party and freedom's the best. Go down to the village and raid their food, all the women we wanna fuck, and all the mead we want to drink." He trailed back up her bicep and to the junction where shoulder and arm joined, Ellana had a split second to brace herself when the rotten teeth showed again. The man sank the blade inside and white-hot pain surged through, blinding the mage as she fought not to scream. "Scream, bitch!"

"Fuck," Lavellan gulped heavily and wheezed, " _You!_ "

" **Wrong answer,** " he growled and thrust the blade on the outermost part of her thigh. "If you don't start screaming I'll do worse things," he chuckled sadistically, "Tough fer a knife-ear, usually you bitches start wailing at the sight of a knife. Ironic don't you think?" It had become harder and harder to think when the blinding white and burning pain radiated everywhere along her body, the urges to shout out and scream were undeniably tempting. The man cackled when he dragged the blunt end along the sides of her breasts and it was then she finally registered that she had been completely naked aside from her underclothes, "Decent rack too. Turn tricks and you'll make good coin for me. Eh would havta charge less coz of this stupid tat that's coverin' yer face. Maybe," his voice lilted playfully, "I should flay it off?" His laughter echoed in the dank room when the elven woman's eyes widened with fear. _No! That's what makes me-_ "That's what gets you going huh bitch?" Ellana squeezed her eyes shut when she felt the chilling metal slide along her cheek and chewed on her lip nervously, it had finally dawned on her why the atmosphere was thick with fear and agony. _Naive,_ she gulped when she felt the tip dig below her ear lobe and glide along to trace one of the vines. Her chest exploded with need to whine and shout even though the blade hadn't done much except create a thin cut, but even the light stinging felt nearly unbearable. It was then she realized that the captives were never released, for their tortured spirits remained trapped in the room.

* * *

Coughing and grunting, Sera's head bobbed up and down as it hung loosely, "F-fuck..." Her arms were screaming at her and she blinked blearily, glancing from the corner of her eyes and noting they were pulled back. She'd felt sick to her stomach and was ready to puke at any moment, and when she lifted her head she did just that. The nausea overwhelmed her immediately and she whipped her head to the side and emptied her contents, choking and gasping for much-needed air as wave after wave poured from her throat. The warm disgusting liquid made her wretch but eventually it slowed down and she had nothing left. _Nightmare,_ tears stung the corners of her eyes, _this has to be a nightmare._ She was scared to look again, the horrific sight had been burned into her mind clear as crystal despite only seeing it for a split second. The stench of blood and urine choked her and reminded her of the alleyways she grew up on, and what would happen if she had been careless enough to get caught.

The bitter memories conjured up old anger as well as fear, and she had wanted nothing more than to kill somebody right now. She kept her eyes peeled to the ground as her head hung low, tilting ever so slightly to see the other two companions utterly exhausted and completely disgusted. _Vivi's got a couple marks on her face, Bull,_ she hesitated on tilting her head back to get a better look, _cuts on his chest. Mother fucking bastards, I'm gonna feed them their fucking balls and shit down their throat._ Low pained groans made her eyes subconsciously snap to the origin of the sound and she averted her gaze again when her stomach flip flopped. _I'm still gonna fuckin' hurl when I got nothing left._ Her eyes burned hot with furious tears but she fought them back, knowing it'd only make matters worse. "S-Sera…?" _No, please. I can't look at you,_ "Are y- _ck_ -ou a-al... _hah-_ right?"

"Yes," she whispered quietly, she still couldn't muster the courage to look at the elven woman and she could have sworn that everyone could hear how hard her heart was beating. Her blood froze when she heard the pained chuckles and reluctantly looked up, her features contorted in one of pure fear and empathy. She knew something like this would eventually happen and desperately wanted to protect the woman from this cruel reality, the one who was so filled with life and joy now looked broken and withered. _That's not Ena, Ena's always strong. She's never looked weak or frail no matter what. She don't deserve this, she never deserved this shit. Nobody does. What twisted fuck came up with this?_

"I'm glad," Lavellan muttered and her head dropped low again, her entire body swung from the motion and she hissed in pain. Sera looked away and squeezed her eyes shut, her heart constricting painfully when the mage inhaled sharply. "D-don't cry, 'ma vhenan..." _How can you say that?_ "Every- _tch_ -thing will be alright," _how can_ _you_ _comfort_ _me_ _?_ "I promise I'll keep you safe," _I don't care about my fucking safety! I should be there, I'm used to this shit. Why is it you and not me?!_ Her head rose one more time and she steeled herself as she analyzed Ellana who still managed a weak yet warm smile, _how can you still smile, when you're in so much pain?_ Her stomach wretched again when she saw how the mage's tanned skin stretched like elastic, her blood trickling down and dripping on the floor with quiet plops as it formed a small puddle. But the absolute worst of it all…

Were the meat hooks that suspended her above the red-stained chair.


	23. The Beast Within

**Hope you enjoy-ish, cheers mates!**

 **AN** **:** This chapter is quite angst-filled and the emotional roller-coaster ride between relief and despair is a bumpy one. Prepare yourself as you explore the depths of Ellana's darkest secret. It won't stay like this for long… Hopefully.

Random tid bit: The cause of death when in a crucifix position is usually asphyxiation because of difficulty inhaling due to hyper-expansion of chest and lungs (this is what is meant by 'if she doesn't bleed out she'll choke'). Also, when Sera talks about 'flash/flashing' she means PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) or as soldiers may refer to it as SSDD (Same Shit Different Day).

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _Ar tu na'din:_ I will kill you

 _Da'assan:_ Little arrow

 _'_ _Ma vhenan:_ My heart

 _Shem'alas:_ Dirty human

 _Nan:_ Revenge/Vengeance

 _Lin:_ Blood

* * *

 **The Beast Within**

* * *

When Lavellan had passed out the archer had grown nearly hysterical. "Bull! Wake the fuck up," she tugged on her own bonds and tried to ignore the pain screaming at her to stop, "Bull! Vivi!" Her eyes fell back on the unconscious mage suspended in a crucifix position, one hook on each tricep and two on what looked like above the shoulder blades from where Sera could see. _This is fucked up,_ "Ena! Wake up!" _If she doesn't bleed out she'll choke instead,_ she tugged harder on the binds and yelped when the stinging had gotten significantly worse. _Fuck! Everybody dies if Ena dies!_

Something felt like it slid down her palms and fingers, she leaned to the side to check and saw blood dribble down to form it's own puddles. _If this chair wasn't fucking bolted down I could jump and break it,_ she kicked at the metal plates securing the limbs to the ground to see if the screws were at all loose, wincing when her toes protested at the abuse. _Shut the fuck up, you've survived worse and right now Ena needs-_ she gulped and hesitantly looked up, _she needs someone to get her down from there._ The qunari groaned lowly and her head whipped in his direction, "BULL! WAKE THE FUCK UP RIGHT NOW!"

"S-Sera?" Bull rasped out then coughed, "Shit I think they broke a couple ribs," his head lulled back and to the side, exhaustion and agony heavily etched in his eye. "Did you just wake up?"

"What the fuck is going on? Why are we here? Why the fuck is Ena-" she bit her tongue and glanced over, she didn't have the heart to finish her sentence. "What the fuck is going on Bull?! Why are you still sitting there, get moving and rip your way out you're fuckin' massive muscles and shite!"

"Can't," the qunari wheezed and slurred slightly, "They gave me somethin', dunno. Weak as a fucking nug, beat the shit outta me too. When I get out of here I'm crushing their heads with my own two hands," he looked mournfully at Ellana, "She..." He averted his gaze and muttered guiltily, "She kept insisting they beat her instead. When they were going to you she freaked out and..." He let out a shaky sigh, "Sera they-"

" **Shut**. **Up**." The archer's eyes burned hot with tears and her voice wavered, "Just… We have to get her down from there or she'll die." _If they touched her, hurt her_ _that_ _way, ain't nobody going to have an easy or painless death when I'm free. I'll fuck them with arrows and see how they like it._ "What can we do?" The seemingly infinite amount of bruises and gashes covering the elven woman's body made Sera's stomach churn, _that's a shit ton to stitch back up. Gonna need a lot of alcohol, fuck gonna need her to hop in a friggin' barrel to knock her the hell out._

"Nothing," Bull murmured hopelessly, "Time's up."

"Shut the fuck up! Ena'd never give up on us no matter what. She's fucking proof of it right there! Snap out of it, there's got to be something we can do I ain't gonna give up!" She glared at the unconscious dalish mage, "And you! How long are you going to hang there like it's the time of your fucking life?! Wake the hell up and fight Ena, you're stronger than this!" _Why didn't she explode? Bull said they were coming for me, that's more than enough for her to lose it and blow up in fuckin' flames!_ She chewed on her lip as her hysteria and anger escalated, _why didn't you let them beat me? I coulda fuckin' handled it Ena, half my life was like this fuckin' shit hole!_ Her stomach dropped and heart constricted painfully when she could hear faint footsteps near, "No, no, no, **fuck**!" When she looked over she noticed that the qunari had passed out again, and it didn't help when she noticed sweat trickle down Vivienne's forehead, _the fuck is wrong with her if they hardly touched her?_ She didn't know what else to do, so she loosened her neck and hung her head low to fake being unconscious still. _Need to trick 'em, maybe they'll come cut the binds and then I'll beat the shit out of them._

The door creaked open and Sera listened intently to the footsteps, _Bull said 'they', I only hear one guy though. He fucking reeks holy shit._ "Well ain't this cute," the man chuckled quietly, "All of 'em sleepin' like babes." The footsteps stopped at Ellana and the archer desperately wanted to look at what was happening but couldn't risk detection, "Lost a lot of blood honey," the creaking of the chains and a quiet thump echoed in the silence. "Too bad Boss changed his mind 'bout ya, now I gotta take care of ye. Would rather kick back an' relax while I toast to yer dead body, whore." More creaking of chains and something sounded like it was being poured and splashed on the ground. _Can't tell what the fuck the scent is with everything else smelling like shit._ "Pissed yerself did ya? Can't believe I gotta clean up after this stupid bitch," the disgruntled man kept cussing and complaining, "Boss said he wants you all to himself and he gets first dibs. Selfish fuckin' bastard, least we get to have fun after he leaves. He doesn't have to know, it'll be our little secret won't it babe?" Sera was more than ready to explode, her blood froze when she heard familiar grunts and groans, _she's waking up?_ "'Bout time you woke up," more splashing and the mage coughed then yelped in agony, "How's it hanging babe?" The man laughed as if he had said the most clever joke of them all.

"Fuck you," Lavellan seethed tiredly, "Ar tu na'din."

"Now is that any way to treat the nice man who's patching you up and giving you my **own** flask? I'm the fuckin' definition of generosity bitch." The sounds of creaking resounded in the dank room, _is he climbing on the chair?_ The man popped the cap then pressed it against Ellana's lips, "Drink up." The mage sputtered and spat in his face, the man recoiled with a smack and Sera snapped.

"Get the fuck away from her if you know what's good for you, you fucking prick!" The archer lunged and ignored the pain at her wrists, "I'm going to feed you your fucking shit!" Lavellan coughed and stared at her wide-eyed in surprise, the man casually glanced over his shoulder with a wolfish grin and shrugged. He grabbed the elven woman's chin and tilted it away from him, purposefully dragging his tongue along her cheek to further infuriate Sera, "GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER!" The mage repulsed and tried to jerk away from him but her struggles were futile, she groaned lowly again.

"Well now I know for sure you two are fuckin'. Knife-ears fawning over each other, typical." The man jumped off the chair and grabbed his groin area, "Won't be lovers for long. Boss'll be here soon and you'll have front row seats to the greatest show of 'em all: taming this wild beast. Then she'll know how much better a dick is than a couple fingers and beg to be fucked like an animal." He cackled like a hyena as the archer cursed at the top of her lungs, he shrugged as he thumbed at the suspended mage, "Too bad she ain't so feisty no more though, I think I maaaaybe went too far? That's alright though, that'll change once she starts moanin' for more." Sera gritted her teeth when she noted the confusion swirling in the depths of the empty coal eyes, _she's losing color,_ her heart choked her at her throat, _she's dying, she needs to get down from there_ _now_ _._

"Da'assan," Ellana whispered, "I n-need you," the way she had sounded so weak, tiny like a frail child had ripped the archer's heart into pieces and effectively crushed them into nothing. She had begun to retreat behind the walls protecting her heart and gradually felt numb, _who were you trying to fool, Sera? A happily-ever after? You know better than anybody else-_ "Piss me off, Sera. Call me an idiot," _I can't._ Her eyes widened with fear at the mage's request, _you can't… We can't do anything anymore, Bull was right. It's hopeless._ "Trust in me 'ma vhenan," the mage smiled pathetically, "Don't ever give up. If we breathe we can still fight."

"The fuck are you mumbling 'bout whore? Prayin' to yer dead god?" The man walked over and drew the knife from his belt and dragged the blunt end down the side of her thigh, Sera watched helplessly as the mage's body seized up in complete fear and whimpered. _Ena doesn't…_ The archer squeezed her eyes shut, _that's not her anymore. They broke her,_ anger welled up in her and she wanted nothing more than to howl in complete rage, _they fucking broke_ _ **my**_ _Ena._

Sera tugged on her binds and noted how her wrists had felt numb much like her, she muttered lowly, "Ena..." Her voice wavered but she shook her head and steeled herself, head whipping up in fury and glaring at the mage without restraint. "What kind of fucking idiot fights to stay caged? What happened to your promises, what happened to never being powerless and helpless?" A dull flicker of fire glowed in the coal eyes and Sera had increasingly gotten angry, _fuck you for making me do this to you Ena. Fuck. You._ "What happened to giving your best in everything you do?" The man cackled and howled in delight, wiping his eyes and grinning wolfishly when Sera insulted the tortured mage. There was nothing worse than your own lover spitting on you in disrespect and blaming you for being hurt and weak. "ENA!" The coal eyes flashed dangerously and Sera gritted her teeth, "This ain't badass! Yer being a fucking baby!"

Apparently that had done it and Lavellan effectively snapped under the pressure, she growled and screamed in agony and Sera looked away, nausea overwhelming her at the sounds of tearing flesh. Before the man could react in time, Ellana forcibly ripped her arms out of hooks and curled her toes on the spine of the chair below her, rapidly twisting her torso to pull the hooks from her shoulder blades. "What the fuck is this bitch?! You ain't fuckin' normal, yer a fuckin' monster!" The man shrieked and held his knife out, feet shuffling back and eyes widened in shock and panic as the elven woman hopped off the chair and collapsed on the ground. Her legs buckled from the pain and Lavellan's howls had seem akin to a wounded rabid animal lost in madness and rage. In a desperate attempt to protect himself the man ran to Sera and knelt behind her, yanking her head back by her hair and holding the dagger to throat. _F-fuck,_ the archer clenched her teeth as she felt the ice-cold metal dig into her flesh, _it's over for me._

"Ena," _she can't see this, she has to live,_ "R-run." Her breath hitched in her throat when the mage clambered to her feet and pointed her toes inward to activate all muscles, her thighs visibly quivering from the strain. _Run,_ Sera squeezed her eyes shut and fought back the tears, _I can't be scared or she'll be a retard and try to fight. She can't fight,_ she squeezed tighter but a few drops eased out and rolled down her cheeks, _she'll die. She can't die no matter what._

"One step and you'll see this bitch's throat sliced right open" the man stammered, the fear heavily laced his voice and his hands trembled. _One slip, one shake, and it's all over._ Time seemed to stand still and the only noises were heavy breathing and shallow gasps, the scent of dread and mindless fury rampant in the air. Sera's eyes peered open but couldn't see much, the mage's head hung low and her matted hair blocked her face. The shoulders visibly heaved up and down, she was slightly bentS forward and her limp arms swung slightly while bright crimson blood trailed down. Her marked palm had flickered on and off with a dull orange glow as light steam emanated from her hand, but nothing came of it and the glow extinguished.

"Fenedhis," Ellana seethed quietly and her knees buckled on her once more, "Still no energy..."

Relieved that the mage didn't seem to be a threat the man chuckled nervously, "Worried for nothing. You really are fuckin' weak, good for nothing trash." He eased the blade and cautiously walked towards the elven woman, _get up! Fuck, he'll kill you if you don't fucking run now!_ Hope hammered in her chest and Sera thought that maybe Lavellan was using the feign trick, but as soon as the man kicked her in the chin and sent her crashing to the ground the archer knew that wasn't the case.

"True strength," Ellana groaned then spat out blood as she rolled to her side and quietly cursed about her back, "It's not power, or magic or muscles." The man nudged her on her back and planted his foot on her sternum, laughing wildly as if the mage had said the most preposterous thing ever. Sera stiffened when the elven woman grinned proudly and her eyes flared, _how can she still look like that when she's about to die?_ "The bonds you form with people, the friends you trust with your life," her grin grew, "That's true strength. Say your prayers shem'alas, victory is mine and death is waiting for you."

"Hah! What kind of fucking bullshit is this?" The man pressed his foot down harder and cackled when the mage struggled to get him off, "The only one dying today is-" He screamed in pain and looked at his ankle, Lavellan gripped it as tightly as she could and steam chewed on his flesh. He followed the mage's gaze and hesitantly glanced behind him, eyes widening in terror at the woman who stretched out her free hand.

"You, darling," Vivienne drew an intricate pattern in the air and a small crystal-blue rune appeared, the lines morphed and formed a long icicle. Sweat steadily poured from her but she smiled coyly, "Do say hello to Danny and Sven for me will you dear?" Before the man could scream she shot off the icicle and it sank right between his eyes, his body immediately slumped and Ellana forced herself to roll away before he crashed on her. The orlesian mage leaned back in her chair and her chest heaved frantically, desperate for sorely needed oxygen. Sera stared in utter shock at the two, speechless at what had just happened. _Just a few minutes ago she was knocked the fuck out and I didn't even smell anything from her…_ "Dear," Vivienne wheezed, "It's dangerous for us to force magic like that." Both mages chuckled pathetically and Lavellan groaned, her battered ribs protested to the movement. _How did Vivi even free herself?_ The archer glanced over and noticed that one of the ropes that once held her free hand had charred edges as if it were slightly burnt and then ripped apart. Realization dawned on Sera and her head whipped at the downed elven woman, _when her palm glowed before, that's what she did?_

"We're alive and not possessed aren't we? Worth the risk," Ellana rolled on her stomach then propped herself up on her elbows and struggled to stand, the fire in her eyes was dwindling once again. "Blurry," she mumbled, "Need to hold on for just a bit longer." Giving up on her goal to stand, she grunted as she crawled towards Vivienne. Clasping both ropes around the ankles, her eyebrows furrowed in focus and light sizzling along with steam emanated from her palms. _Insane… She's insane…_ Happiness and pride welled up in the archer's chest now that the immediate danger had passed, _she always finds a way. Not once does she ever say she can't..._

"You need more time dear or else you'll bu-"

"We don't have time- _hah_ -see if you- _ck_ -can free your wrist." Both elves froze when faint male voices and footsteps could be heard and Ellana snapped, "Fenedhis lasa! They're coming!" _They? The ones Bull mentioned?_ Sweat poured from her forehead and she gradually became paler and paler yet the ropes were only covered in light soot. The mage crawled closer and blew gently hoping she could start a flame but nothing happened. As soon as the door slammed open she cursed and slammed her fists on the ground in frustration, Sera watched as the panicked men dragged her away as if it happened in slow motion and repeatedly kicked the mage in the ribs, spitting on her and cussing her out. Her stomach twisted painfully and nausea overwhelmed her when the bandit leader loosened his belt, the dalish mage was on her stomach chanting something in elvhen as the other two held her down. _No…_ Tears rolled freely down the archer's cheeks and Vivienne had been shouting to stop. _No…!_ Lavellan rose her head and looked guiltily at Sera, "'Ma vhenan, I'm so sorry for this," _shut up Ena it's not your fault!_ "Please close your eyes, you can't see me like this," _this isn't happening!_

 ** _It means that her fire can consume her._**

When the leader situated on his knees and lowered, Sera twisted her head and emptied the contents of her stomach a second time, her eyes squeezed shut to try and stop the crying, _I have to be strong for her,_ she chewed on her lip and hysteria settled in once more, _she was_ _never_ _supposed to see this shit! She was never supposed to understand_ _this_ _, to now know what I've been through,_ the air in the room shifted and twisted, it reeked of death and blood. It was then Sera realized that Vivienne had been shouting at  Ellana to stop, not the men. "You'll be possessed, the Veil is thin here!" At that the archer's head snapped up and her eyes widened, _w-what… The fuck?_ Her jaw dropped in shock and the men that surrounded around the mage seconds ago had been literally torn into pieces, intestines spilled out of one and another had been ripped right in half.

In the middle of the bloodbath stood the dalish mage but her back faced Sera, her hair had taken on a crimson hue and the stained skin had been seemingly wiped clear of blood. The grisly large gashes from where the hooks were ripped out of looked almost crisp with the torn tissue in keen jagged edges. One of the men had been desperately crawling away, screaming in agony and crying for help. He was missing both of his legs from the knees up and left a massive blood trail, the elven woman made no move to finish him off. Instead, she calmly outstretched her hand and suddenly the ceiling where the doorway was exploded and collapsed, the rubble buried the only way out and the man shrieked in despair. Sera had never known what true terror looked like until Lavellan slowly turned around. _H-her eyes…_

 ** _If pushed past that limit she may never come back._**

"Maker," Vivienne breathed, "You..." The orlesian mage had actually been speechless, what could one say in a situation like this? Ellana's eyes were completely pitch black, and all of the lacerations and cuts scattered on her skin had been... 'Cleansed' almost. Light steam rose from some and they gradually cauterized shut, as the mage walked towards Sera the air of death and blood followed. The archer's heart hammered painfully against her rib cage and her lungs screamed, the disgusting scent smothered and petrified her. "Inquisitor snap out of it!" _What is she going to do?_ Sera gasped and wheezed desperately for air, her throat felt like it was going to be crushed. Her eyes stung with tears, _it's like the dream… This is a dream again then right? Just another fucked up nightmare?_ The pitch black eyes held no remorse, no emotion and the hand squeezing her neck had no warmth. Vivienne shouted and desperately tried to free herself from her binds, working furiously on tugging and burning the ropes. "Inquisitor listen to me, stop! You'll kill Sera!"

 ** _I love you, ma emma sa'lath._**

"E...na..." Sera gritted out yet the mage hadn't responded whatsoever, _I know you can hear me, I know you're still there somewhere._ Ringing settled in her ears and purple-black dots clouded her vision, _this is it huh? Worse ways to die I guess,_ her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes softened, etched with sympathy and understanding. _You tried your best luv, you fought hard. Nobody can blame you,_ her lips curled in an affectionate smile, "I lo...ve-" she wheezed again as the crushing hand tightened on her throat, _got to tell her._ "Y-you too... Weirdo. It's okay," _is t_ _his how future me felt?_ "It's n-not- _ck_ -yer fault luv." _Used to think that I was alright living the way I did and took my fun wherever I could get it, as long as I survived nothing else mattered._ Sera's eyes slipped shut as she waited for darkness to take her, _I was wrong. You proved that, Ena._ The hand squeezed and a crack resounded in the silence, the archer slipped away.

* * *

 _Nan._

 ** _That's right. Destroy everything in your path. Everything must pay._**

 _Lin._

 ** _Everything. Release it. Kill everything._**

Flashes of disjointed memories blinded the mage and the thick haze of blood blanketed her mind. The scent of mead mixed with the tangy sweetness told her she was near Sera and she felt pressure in her hand, _holding hands? No..._ Her mind screamed at her to 'get away' but the drunken red fog impaired her from thinking and processing. Someone was shouting at her, she could vaguely hear her name but she didn't know who the voice belonged to. The thoughts made no sense and her urges guided her.

 ** _Return to nothing. The deep abyss. Unforgivable._**

 _This feels familiar,_ Ellana could have sworn she held Samahl's lifeless body in her arms but when she looked down she saw nothing but blood on her hands, _hungry wrath…_

 ** _Erase. Completely. Vanish. Cleanse._**

She screamed inwardly as white-hot pain flashed and her head felt like it was going to be split into two, overpowering bitterness and anger surged through her veins. Faint words navigated through the red mist and the mage desperately tried to piece it together when she had grown to fear the retribution her urges for some reason demanded.

 ** _Inquisitor listen to me, stop! You'll kill Sera!_**

Lavellan's eyes widened, for a moment she thought she saw the archer and felt her palm enclosed around something slick and rubbery, _what was that?_ "E...na..." _Sera?_ Her heart beat frantically and pure fear coursed through her body, _Sera!_ She found that she couldn't talk, couldn't see anything beyond the red mist and whirled around to analyze her surroundings. She tried to look down at her body but saw nothing, _I should have wounds all over, I should feel pain!_ She saw the outline of the archer and panicked when she could feel her palm again, _no, no, no! STOP!_

 ** _It's n-not-_** ** _ _ck__** ** _-yer fault luv._**

 _Shut up!_ Ellana furiously fought to release her hand but instead it kept tightening and the archer gasped and wheezed. She could feel the adam's apple gulp and move up and down in desperation and the beast within roared with sadistic delight. _Stop! I don't want to kill her!_

 ** _Nothing matters. Everything dies. Purify. Burn._**

 _SHUT THE FUCK UP!_

 ** _Kill her. Just like the men that killed Samahl. You enjoyed it, remember?_**

 _SHUT UP! Release me!_ Lavellan tried to control her other arm and forced it to grab the forearm that held Sera. _I won't kill her._

 ** _You're a monster and you know it. Everybody does._**

 _Your time is up now!_ Both hands tightened immensely and the crack shot out, Sera's slackened in her grip and the mage howled in agony before she passed out.

Ellana successfully broke her own arm.

* * *

"...Monster!" Slowly roused from deep slumber, that was the first word the mage heard. She had become familiar with it, it was engrained in her mind despite her denial and ignorance of it. It was her shame and her worst fear, even the Keeper was scared of her when she had lost control. She was a liability to the clan but instead of exiling Ellana, the Keeper increased the intensity of her magic training. The grueling nights where the mage would starve and intentionally instigate her wrath in order to practice control under the Keeper's watchful eye was the worst, especially when one of those nights involved her accidentally killing a stray halla in the forest before she was stopped. Eventually, it was decided that the mage simply had to ensure she was always well-rested and happy which was easy enough when Samahl had been her anchor. That balance was threatened when the young man died, and the Keeper ordered Lavellan to camp a safe distance away from the clan. She remained close enough to still visit and retrieve supplies, but far away enough that should she lose control of her anger she would not harm the clan. Her studies and the endless tomes the Keeper had given her became her new anchor and something to focus on besides her brother's death along with the hungry anger.

It was soon discovered that her primary source of magical energy and power stemmed from her feelings. The 'flames of emotion' as Keeper called it, and warned that it was wildly unstable magic yet if harnessed properly it could rival even the most powerful of magicks. Ellana's thirst for vengeance for both Samahl and her parents twisted into an insatiable blood-lust, and the nights she found carcasses beside her blood-stained pelts with teeth marks that resembled her sharp canines repulsed her. When the mage miraculously calmed down from these 'episodes', the guilt of brutally killing innocent animals was more than enough to empower her determination not to give in to the beast's demands and she worked tirelessly to master the element of fire itself. Now? That drive and motivation had all been snuffed out. This guilt, this shame of hers that she so desperately tried to keep locked and hidden from her friends so they would never see this side of her had been willingly tapped into and embraced. Yes it was an act of desperation -perhaps even necessity- and she survived the traumatic ordeal, but was it truly worth it? Her eyes fluttered open and she silently took in her surroundings, her body burned with pain yet her mind was all but numb to it. She didn't care anymore, what for?

 _Sera must despise me. If she's even alive._

Oddly enough this morbid thought did nothing, she felt empty and hollow. _Where am I?_ Her eyes trailed from one object to the next, embers flickered in the fireplace in the center of the room. A couple of dead flowers in vases were on the shelves along with dusty paintings of things she didn't recognize. She was on a bed in the corner and the rotting wood indicated that she was in an old cabin of some sort. She groaned and grunted when the mere act of raising her head made her stomach protest and scream in agony, she looked at her right forearm and noted the cloth and pieces of thin yet sturdy wood wrapping her arm. _A splint?_ Rain poured heavily outside and her eyes lingered on the odd clothing she was in, her free arm lifted her shirt so she could inspect herself. _What the…?_ Whatever had not already been cauterized was  stitched and the mage thought that her heart literally skipped a beat before it hammered erratically with hope. It was then she registered the shouting outside the cabin and her head snapped to the door, her ears perked and tuned to listen to the muffled voices.

"You saw it with your own eyes," one of the women exclaimed, _she sounds familiar._ "That was borderline blood magic and you damn near almost died for it!"

"It wasn't her fault and **you know it** ," _that's Sera! So she is alive!_ "She snapped out of it,  literally, or did you forget she snapped her own fucking arm?"

"She's in danger and is a menace to us and herself, we must figure out what to do to contain her in case if she loses control like that again. We're lucky she wasn't possessed, or at least not by demons." _My-damn-fur..._

"First things first," a deep gruff voice boomed, "We need to ask Harding to send a messenger bird and explain what happened to Red, and also request reinforcements. I can get my Chargers down here and we can clear out the rest of the bastards hiding in that fortress." _There's still more?_ Ellana suddenly stiffened with realization, _what happened? My last memory…_ She yelped when suddenly a rock-splitting headache threatened to crack her brain open. The images of how she bit into a man's neck and tore the others apart, and the way she almost suffocated the archer had been at the forefront of her mind. She groaned lowly and squeezed her eyes shut, tears stung the corners and her body thrummed with the overwhelming urge to cry in shame. She hadn't realized someone was calling out to her, _I almost killed Sera,_ the weight of it all came crashing down, _**I. Almost.**_ _ **Killed**_ _ **. Sera.**_

"Oi weirdo! Snap out of it!" Sera shook the mage by her shoulders and shuddered when the hollow coal eyes flickered open to stare at her. The mage flip flopped between numbness and pure remorse to the point she wanted to do nothing more than crawl in a hole and just die. _Sera. My bond-mate and the woman who's faithfully stood by my side through the best and worst. I crossed the line, yet she's forcefully bound and chained to me now. Even if she wanted to run away, she can't._

"I really tried to kill you," Lavellan murmured numbly, "This is what I am. A monster with no talents beyond burning and killing everything."

"That's not true," the archer's voice wavered and her eyes swirled with fear and uncertainty, "You know it Ena."

"How can you say that?" Ellana's nerves were beginning to fray, she felt like she was going to fall apart any second now and lose herself in the sea of blood-lust once more. "I was going-"

"If you **really** intended to kill me, I'd be dead right now." Sera took a deep breath and visibly relaxed, her lips curled in a small reassuring smile, "Look at me. Do I look dead?" The mage blinked and gaped in confusion, _how can she just…?_ "If I am, I'm a fucking pretty zombie then." The city elf's smile spread into a grin when Lavellan chuckled quietly then winced when the pain shot through her ribs. "A happy-go-lucky idiot calling herself a monster when she can't even kill me, what kind of dumb joke s'that luv?" Ellana noted the two figures standing by the doorway, _Vivienne and Bull…_ She averted her gaze in shame and guilt, a soft hand slid along her cheek and gently guided her to look at Sera. "Ena," she whispered and leaned forward to rest their foreheads together, "You proved it luv." _What?_ "And you keep proving it every day, every time. When the heck are you gonna notice that huh?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Forgot huh? You told me you'd rather die than hurt me, remember?" Sera tenderly poked the broken forearm, "I'd say that and the way there's more stitches than skin proves that."

"How can you just accept this? This isn't normal Sera, people don't just go on killing rampages."

"Already knew you ain't normal, weirdo. Yeah yer a little messed up, can be pretty scary. Knew that since the beginning too. Guess what? Everybody's got secrets. You said it yerself the prettiest smiles hide secrets, so all them nice-lookin' people at Skyhold are secretly demons I bet. Especially Red."

"Heh," _she always knows how to lighten up even the most dire of situations, unlike me._ Ellana smiled softly, "Darkness in every heart."

"Yer a tad bit more open 'bout it, I guess. But there can't be light without darkness, yeah? Shite look at you makin' me say fancy rubbish, now I'm weird like you. Point is Ena, you blew those fuckers away and they deserved it. If it wasn't them, it was gonna be you." _And what about when I had my hands on you? Are you just going to ignore that?_ "If you ask me they were the monsters," Sera growled at that, "They enjoyed hurting you. Here you are moping like a baby 'bout what ifs and 'maybe' hurting me, monsters don't cry if they're monsters yeah?" _I almost_ _killed_ _you!_ As if sensing the mage's skepticism, Sera sighed and leaned down, tenderly brushing her mouth over Ellana's. It was the spark that set her ablaze and Lavellan immediately reciprocated with every ounce of passion and spirit she had to offer, she grimaced when she subconsciously tried to use her broken arm to reach out to the archer. When Sera parted she had a lopsided and proud grin, "They also don't fuckin' kiss like that."

* * *

Two days had passed and the archer dedicated every second of it tending to Lavellan's wounds and making sure nothing was getting infected. Vivienne reluctantly agreed to heal whatever and whenever she could, and Bull stood guard to ensure none of the leftover bandits would attempt to assault the village to avenge their leader. Scout Harding had already sent word then situated herself and the Inquisition scouts closer to maintain a watchful eye over the village. "Hey..." It was the first word Ellana had spoken in hours as she had retreated into a near-mute shell. She hesitated thinking about anything remotely connected to the fortress but wanted answers. She watched the city elf intently, Sera had a look of intense concentration as her fingers lightly brushed along for any warm infected areas.

"Mm?"

"After I… Blacked out. What happened?"

The archer cast a skeptical side-glance and inhaled sharply, visibly relaxing when she slowly exhaled, "Vivi broke free but she was dead tired, said she had no magic. Found that asshole's knife and cut the binds. Bull and I cleared the rubble."

"Rubble?"

"Heh," Sera smirked and teased affectionately, "You blew up our only way out again."

"Oh," Ellana averted her gaze and smiled sheepishly, her cheeks felt slightly warm, "Woops..."

"Are you blushing?" Sera leaned in for a closer look and the mage stared back in confusion, "Holy shit you are! Cute," she gave an exaggerated peck on Lavellan's lips and grinned at the mage's meek smile. "After that, there were some idiots that were stupid enough to get in the way of three really fucking pissed off people and had arrows shoved up their arses, axe choppin' balls off and… Well Vivi hauled someone's fuck-ton-o'-ass around. Healed you up when she could but was weird, lots of yer cuts were clean and fine, just not closed. Some were burnt but..." She pointed to the mage's shoulder and the thigh where the blade first sank in, "Stuff like that just... Stayed open. Looks like the deeper ones gotta be stitched up."

"I see..."

Sera watched the elven woman from the corner of her eye as her hands continued their inspection, "Still moping 'bout what you didn't do?"

"Sera I almost ki-"

"Nope. None of that no more."

" **Sera**!"

"Look, way I see it you can do two things with yer mouth right now. You can bitch and cry 'bout something that didn't happen, or," she tapped her own lips, "You can kiss the fuck outta me. Which is it?" When the mage had actually hesitated and contemplated on the decision, Sera huffed exasperatedly, "Seriously?! Yer actually thinking on that? It's a no-brainer!"

"I just can't understand how you can accept it so easily."

"Who said easy? Look, shut up and listen yeah?" Sera lowered and was inches away as she glared in the despondent coal eyes, "Snap. Out. Of. It. This isn't like you."

"What do you know about me?" A pang of guilt swept Ellana at the hurt that flashed among the razor sharp eyes but hardened and steeled herself, "If you know what's good for you, you'll leave right now."

"No, now get up."

"What for?"

"To try again, ya half wit. Laying here, moping, it ain't gonna do anything 'cept let things get worse. Get up, try again. You like to fight, yeah? Just punch whatever's bugging ya right in the face and roast it," Sera smirked, "Just not me, I'm allowed to annoy you. Fair's fair."

Ellana chuckled weakly, "No matter what I do, you don't give up on me. Why?"

"Coz," Sera scratched the back of her head, "Just coz." She sighed at the mage's curious gaze, "Right answers like that don't do shite for you. Alriiiight," she reluctantly caved in, "Coz," her voice hushed at the end, "You never once gave up on me no matter what happened."

"What? I-"

"Ugh just get up already ye daft tit!" Sera helped the mage ease up, slowly but surely she got into a sitting position. "Vivi said it'll help ya if you move 'round a bit, get somethin' or other flowing. Just don't push yourself okay?" The archer's eyes softened, "You did 'nough of that already." The real question Sera wanted to ask was left unspoken, she was scared of what the answer might have been. The bruises that resembled hand prints on the back of the mage's thighs was indication enough, but Ellana never complained about any pain on the 'inside'. Then again, she hasn't complained about any sort of pain but the way she grimaced at even the slightest movement proved she was still going through hell.

"I can get up on my own, Sera."

"No you can't. That's something yer gonna havta learn that it's okay to say Ena. You can't do everything by yourself."

"I **can** and I **will**." That old familiar fire in her eyes flickered for a moment and Sera's heart hammered with hope, only to crash in disappointment when the flame snuffed out.

"Nope," the archer stood and rested her hands on Ellana's shoulders, mindful of the healing tissue. She gave a slight bit of resistance and watched sadly when the mage had struggled to stand against even that. "I know you can luv, but I won't let you. Not without me. We're partners, yeah? Work with me." They stared at each other for what seemed like hours, Lavellan caved in and sighed dejectedly then nodded. Sera sat beside her and hooked one arm around her waist, the other gently cradling the broken arm. "On the count of three. One, two, three- _hup!_ " Though the mage was nearly mute, Sera couldn't blame her. To withstand that sort of brutal torture for who knows how long and she hadn't seen exactly what happened, only the results. That alone would have broken many people, and there was no doubt the ordeal has left mental scars and fearful reactions but at least Ellana hadn't turned into a foaming lunatic that didn't respond to anything. All the elven woman needed was support and time, time that Sera would make damn sure she'd get.

When Lavellan took a step forward she cried out in pain and the archer was right there by her side, but was confused. _She shouldn't have any more pain in her legs at least. Vivienne said she finally got all that healed up so what's going on?_ "Fenedhis, still no energy..." _What is she talking about?_ Sera searched her eyes for answers and cussed, _fuck, she's flashing!_

"Vivi!" Sera shouted and glanced over her shoulder in panic, "Vivi get in here right now!" The orlesian mage tumbled in soon after and quickly analyzed the situation along with the mumbling elven woman, she rushed to Lavellan's other side.

"Is she reliving it?"

"Yeah," the archer looked away when Vivienne's hand glowed and hovered over Ellana's face, "Tell me she ain't gonna flash every time she tries to walk." The elven woman slumped slightly and Sera guided her to lean on her shoulder.

"It's hard to say what will happen dear, she's been through an extremely traumatic ordeal. Her mind is fragile right now, and if any demons tempt her in the Fade..." Sera's heart constricted painfully at the thought, "She may not be able to resist them."

"She will, Ena ain't weak."

"Darling," it was odd hearing the tenderness in Vivienne's voice, Sera was sure her ears played tricks on her. "The Inquisitor is not invincible however much as you'd like to believe."

"I know that, but she ain't weak either."

"I still believe we need to go back to Skyhold, there are healers specifically trained for this and there's also Solas. Insisting she is fine and stalling the help she needs may very well be what leads to her demise. Is that what you want?" The archer looked down at the conflicted face as Ellana slept, the woman permanently wore a frown when she slept now. _She don't look happy no more, no drooling, no snoring…_ Sera sighed and nodded.

"Let's go back then, but she still needs to walk to the horses. I ain't taking that risk if walking is gonna trigger another flash."

"We'll get Bull to carry her, and then we can use rope to tie her to you so she won't fall off." _Good plan, guess miss snobby ain't_ _so_ _bad._ Sera nodded, "I'll go retrieve Bull, be back in a few minutes." When Vivienne left the archer gingerly cradled Lavellan and as gently as possible lifted her to the bed. She stood and looked around the cabin, opening one of the drawers and pulling out a tattered cloak. _This'll help keep her comfy and feelin' safe, I hope._ She nervously glanced at the motionless body on the bed and frustration welled up in her chest, _if she's awake she's haunted, if she's asleep she's haunted._

 ** _If any demons tempt her in the Fade she may not be able to resist them._**

The pitch black eyes floated around in Sera's mind and she shook her head, she too hadn't had any good dreams since then and opted to try and stay awake for as long as she could until she'd pass out by accident. Most of the dreams would start off with Lavellan suspended on the hooks, smiling eerily at the archer as she ripped herself out. Though Sera didn't see it she still dreamed of it in vivid detail, the way the stretched elastic skin would slowly tear then snap. The shoulder blades were the worst, the mage would hook her toes on the chair and just kept leaning forward and forward, the abnormal skin would stretch and didn't snap until Ellana had gotten into a squatting position on the seat of the chair. Everything else was a haze and she thanked her luck that she didn't remember the gruesome details. The only other part she could recall was the hand around her neck, squeezing painfully with the mage cackling in sadistic glee. It would be exactly what had happened up until the point she thought she was about to die, and would wake up drenched in sweat. _She had the worst of it,_ Sera knelt by the elven woman's side, _she_ _took_ _the worst of it for me. She had every right to snap and good on her, ripped those fuckers apart for me._

Though she shrugged off the fact Ellana had almost killed her, she couldn't deny that it deeply troubled her but she couldn't tell the mage that. Yet why not Vivienne? Bull? The elven woman went to her first. Part of her had feared what would happen if Lavellan would lose herself like that again, would she come back next time? Would she kill everyone? Why is she losing control anyways, if it's not possession then what is it? Even Vivienne herself was confused and at a loss for words, Bull remained quiet on the matter and would just shrug saying it was blood-lust much like how he tapped into his reaver abilities. He mentioned that next time he trains her he'll try teaching her how to control these abilities and tap into it at will if she truly needed to again. Again. That dreaded word was enough to make Sera nauseous. _She was never supposed to see that shit. She's not gonna be Ena anymore._

 ** _You've reminded me what I've forgotten long ago. What it means to live._**

 _No idiot, that's what you did for me._ She desperately needed Ellana to be her happy-go-lucky self again, to say it's not a problem, to charge in without giving a single fuck in the world. The woman had become the embodiment of her hope, one that would literally go out blazing everywhere. _Her fire,_ Sera smiled sadly and tenderly brushed her fingers over the mage's scar on her lip she got from their sparring. _Her fire's snuffed out, her eyes been empty ever since…_

 ** _I couldn't have asked for a better friend, especially one who becomes my fire when mine dies out_** ** _ _.__**

Startled out of her reverie when the qunari suddenly came into her peripheral view, she nodded and trusted him to gently cradle and lift Ellana. _Can't expect anyone to bounce back and be happy after that shit, if they did then something's definitely wrong and they're insane for sure._ She draped the tattered cloak on top of the mage and watched her protectively, her heart constricting at every grimace and pained groan. When they got to Scout Harding Vivienne explained the situation and the scout nodded, helping them with the horses by stacking crates so that Bull could step up and secure Ellana to Sera. One rope was circled around the lower waist, and the other was carefully tucked just under the shoulder blades so as not to antagonize the wounds sustained from the hooks. Harding said she would watch over the village and was promised the Chargers for reinforcements, after all was said and done the party set off and prayed the rain would soon let up.

There was no way around it, Sera had signaled the horse into a trot and tried to keep the guilt buried when the mage would groan more frequently. _We walk and we never get the help she needs in time,_ she glanced over her shoulder and couldn't tell if it was rain or sweat on Ellana's pale face. _Motion keeps her sleeping so that's good. But what if Vivi's right?_ She shook her head and whispered softly, "Hope is the only thing stronger than fear Ena, remember? You'll beat this like you always do." _That's right,_ Sera's lips curled into a subtle smile as she gazed at the beaten path in front of her, _she_ _ **can**_ _and she_ _ **will**_ _._

* * *

As soon as they reached Skyhold the healers descended like vultures. Leliana had been shouting at several people, Dorian and Solas were bickering about what was the best way to help the mage's state of mind, and Sera sat quietly outside and across from the tent Ellana was in. There were several gasps and she overheard the healers mutter their surprise about the injuries, how the elven woman was even able to endure the amount of pain it must have wrought. Bull sat beside Sera and wisely remained silent, both of them merely tapped their mugs together and drank to drown the horrific ordeal. After a while, the qunari cleared his throat and spoke quietly, "Boss'll make it through this okay. She's strong."

"I know." Sera tipped the mug back and actually grimaced when the bitter liquid burned her throat, she wiped her lips with her forearm and leaned back on her elbows with a sigh. "Ain't worried 'bout that."

"Worried how it'll change her?" Bull had known that wasn't the only thing the archer fretted over.

"Yeah..."

"She's real tough Sera, even tougher than qunari," Bull reached over and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, "And she'll only get stronger from this. She's got you, and you bring out the real side of her. Anybody can see you two love each other lots, that won't change."

"Guess so," Sera mumbled and hesitantly stole a glance, "Bull, the marks on her thighs..." She couldn't bring herself to ask.

"They didn't." Hearing those words made the archer melt with relief, and Bull smiled softly, "Sera, even if she figured out what sort of life you had, Boss isn't the type that would think any less of you. In fact I'd bet my life it'd be the complete opposite."

"Who said-"

"Know that's also eating you up. You wanna shelter her from that shit I get it, but she needs to know shit like this exists. 'Cause then she'll find and rip every sick mother fucker apart."

"She'd blow up Denerim then."

"Wouldn't that be a good thing? Make fireworks out of those bastards' bodies," the two chuckled and Bull grabbed the bottle to pour more in their mugs. "We'd help her too. Would be a good time."

"Damn straight," they tapped their mugs and downed the bitter liquid in one go, smacking their lips together and sighing in content when the buzz settled in.

"What can we do to cheer the Boss up once she comes outta that tent?"

"A huge fucking bonfire?"

"I'm serious Sera."

"I am too." The two stared at each other and Sera's lips curved into a grin, "What kinda stupid question s'that Bull?"

"Heh," the qunari hummed thoughtfully, "Satinalia is coming up soon. Maybe we should ask Josephine if we can throw a wild party. You know, help the Boss get her mind off all this shit."

"A party?" Sera's eyebrows furrowed and she frowned, "I dunno. Let's ask Ena, no point thinking ahead if she won't want it."

"Mm, you're right." Bull glanced over and watched the archer, "Hey, are you alright too?" He poured what was left of the bottle in Sera's mug only and the city elf looked inside, but made no move to drink yet. She shrugged and swirled the liquid in the mug.

"With what?"

"Viv told me what the Boss almost did to you."

"Almost, but didn't," Sera deflected then chuckled, "It's fine, we're always at each others' throats."

"Sera-"

"I said it's fine," the archer stood up and raked her hand through her hair, "Worry 'bout Ena. She's all that matters. Gonna go check on her the healers are done," Sera waved to the qunari and disappeared inside the tent. On a hunch, Bull leaned over and checked the mug the archer left behind then sighed.

"Now I know for sure **you** ain't fine. You never leave a mug full."


	24. Elgaran

**Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!**

 **AN** **:** When you get really confused later on with what you're about to be slapped with, just remember Origins and the two characters Wynne and Anders, that's all I'm saying. A better explanation is at the end of the chapter!

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _Elgaran:_ The place where spirit dwells (not to be confused with the god Elgar'nan)

 _Ma emma sa'lath:_ My one and only love

 _'_ _Ma vhenan:_ My heart

 _'_ _Ma'arlath:_ My love

 _'_ _Ma da'assan:_ My little arrow

 _'_ _Ma'sula:_ My song

 _'_ _Ma vhenas:_ My home

 _'_ _Ma vhenan'ara:_ My heart's desire

 _Ma nuvenin:_ As you wish

* * *

 **Elgaran**

* * *

Healers quickly filtered out of the tent and one accidentally bumped into Sera's shoulder on the way out, "Oi watch where the fuck yer goin'!" The young woman mumbled an apology and hastily retreated, the archer watched with confusion, _why was she so scared?_ She shrugged and stepped inside, even more confused when Solas and Dorian were shouting at each other while Vivienne held the dalish elf's head in her lap. Her fingers rubbed Ellana's temples and they emanated a soft blue glow, Sera shifted her gaze when her stomach twisted into tiny little knots, _fuck shoulda known this place'd reek of creepy magic._

"Are you insane?! You might as well paint a target on her if you try that!" Dorian glared at Solas then gestured to Vivienne, "We'd attract both spirits and demons that way!"

"The spirits are trying to help her, I have seen it when I tried to venture to where she resides!" _What the fuck are they arguing about?_

"You've attempted to reach her?" Vivienne muttered disapprovingly, her eyes closed in concentration as she continued to do whatever it was she was doing. "Despite all the risks and dangers? You truly are a fool."

"You two are the fools," Solas spat, "Lethallan's spirit **will** be possessed if we do not attempt to help  it sort through it. The spirits from that room are trapped with her, they have reached out to her and now they are **trapped** with her. Do you have  any idea what that means?!" _What the fuck is he talking about?_ The archer remained silent as she desperately tried to figure out what the argument was about, but 'possession' seemed pretty damning. _And what the hell is this 'it' he wants to help?_

"Yes dear, demons seeking out a weakened mind for easy pickings," Vivienne retorted then took a deep breath, the glow dissipated and she opened her weary eyes. _Ena_ _ain't_ _weak you bitch._

"Not demons. Spirits. The same tortured souls that died in that miserable room. I have heard them talking to her, and I have heard it screaming but she wouldn't let me come closer. We must reach out to her." _What's screaming?_

"And forcefully pull her away?" Dorian stated worriedly, "Abruptly severing that connection might-"

"It's either possession or she loses herself, either risk results in her losing her sanity."

"Wait," that was more than enough to alarm Sera and she finally intruded on the argument, " **What**? The fuck's that mean Baldy?"

Solas hesitantly glanced over and spoke bluntly, "It means two things if things turn for the worst, the Inquisitor will possessed and possibly even kill us all or… If she continues to deny it then her soul will not be able meld properly and she'll be made Tranquil. However if we-"

" **FUCK NO**! You ain't doin' shit to her, there's got to be another way! Just let me wake her up," Sera walked towards the unconscious mage but Dorian grabbed her forearm, sadly shaking his head and conveying sympathy in his eyes. "Let me go Moustache!"

"She cannot be woken up, she's reached a stage of deep sleep in which she must get out by herself in order to remain sane and unscathed. The only way we could wake her up right now is through Solas's method of reaching out to her and help her work through the dream." Sera looked at Vivienne and then back at Dorian, all the mages in the tent had dark circles around their eyes and weary lines etched on their faces.

"Why isn't it over?" Sera mumbled and dejectedly plopped to the unconscious mage's side when Dorian released her. She knelt down and gingerly smoothed the sweat-slicked firebrand hair out of Lavellan's face, and slowly lowered to plant a gentle kiss on her forehead. Everything was careful, safe, as if afraid the mage would break and wither to dust. "Hasn't she gone through enough? Why is she still..." _Being tortured?_ She sighed frustratedly, "Let me get this straight," she looked at Dorian for he was the only other mage she remotely trusted, "Do nothing, she turns all demony?" The tevinter mage nodded slowly, "And if you do whatever it is you want to try, she  might break or might die?" Again another nod. "What are the chances? Of her dying or going even more crazy than she already is I mean."

"You don't want to know that dear," Vivienne calmly stated, "It will-"

"So that means really slim chance she'll come back as Ena." Tears stung the corners of Sera's eyes and she blinked furiously as she stared at Lavellan's face, once again wearing a permanent scowl. _Why didn't you just let them beat me Ena…? I coulda handled it, it's nothing new. Woulda been the same shit just a different day, so why did you take everything for all of us?_ She leaned and tenderly brushed her lips over Ellana's, her tears threatening to spill when she couldn't feel an ounce of warmth from the mage's mouth. _Come back to me Ena. Tell me it's not a problem again._ When she parted she spoke lowly, "A chance is better than none. Ena would take the risk, I'd say we try. She's always fighting hard and giving it everything she's got," she wiped her eyes with her forearm and glared at Solas, "If you fuck this up, I will feed you your fucking balls, shit down your throat, and piss on your eyes."

"Well," Dorian nervously glanced over at the apostate, "What a lovely way to go. If that doesn't put pressure on you I don't know what does."

Solas ignored the tevinter mage and nodded to Sera, he knelt on the other side of Ellana and reached over to give the archer's shoulders a reassuring squeeze, "And as Lethallan would say, I promise I can do this." He ignored Vivienne's scoff and assumed a meditative pose, "I will need to be alone with her," knowing the archer would protest he smiled at her, "Only Sera may remain. You must ensure not to move or make noise however, anything that may disrupt the process will increase the risk." He looked at Dorian next, "Please make sure nobody will come inside, and see if you can clear the area within 20 meters."

As the two other mages left, Sera watched carefully as Solas prepared himself and placed one hand over Ellana's forehead and the other over her heart. She was about to protest at how close he was to the elven woman's breasts but wisely remained shut, _he's helping, not taking advantage. He'd better not, he ain't that stupid to try that shit in front of me._ "Is there..." she hesitantly whispered, "Anything I can do to help?"

Solas seemed to ponder on that and looked back down, "Take her hand, she may be able to feel you and I'm sure that will help her immensely." The archer nodded and did just that, "Just… Be careful in case if this does go wrong. You will need to go out and warn the others."

"How long will this take?"

"If all goes well, an hour maximum. She has great focus in the Fade and her energy is easily decipherable so finding her will be no problem." He smiled reassuringly, "She'll be fine, Sera. Now please remain as still and quiet as you can, I'm going to her now." Sera nodded and watched protectively then quickly planted another soft kiss on Lavellan's lips, _come back to me in one piece luv. Keep your promises, you said you'd never leave me behind._

* * *

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Ellana shrieked and curled up into a ball, her hands covering her ears and eyes squeezed shut. "GO AWAY!" She must have been stuck here for hours yet for some reason instead of blasting away the things that bugged her she was petrified in fear and couldn't even conjure smoke, she felt 'empty' and no longer herself. The haunting spirits from the torture chambers floated around her, reaching out to her, begging her to listen. Innocent farmers, battered women that for some reason were naked and had blood sliding down their inner thighs, valiant men that tried to fight the bandits. One of the spirits got closer and knelt in front of her, a young girl that looked no more than 14. She slid her palm along the mage's cheek and Lavellan chanted quietly to herself, _this is a trick of the Fade. They want to possess me, I won't let them._ "Go away demon!"

"We are not demons," the young girl said, "You know who we are. We only wish to help you."

"Shut up! I won't listen to you! Why won't you leave me alone?! I'm not in that fucking room anymore!"

"We've heard your pain, your cries. Your pure heart turned black, it fights to exist. You must accept the darkness, break the circle." _What is she talking about?!_ "Dressing the wounds is not enough, there is something that threatens your spirit to split back into two, your soul will die."

"YOU are the threat! Now go away!"

"The darkness within you will swallow you whole, and when it does everyone around you will be in danger."

"She's right, Lethallan," Ellana's head shot up and her eyes widened to see Solas standing across from her, he knelt down and reached out towards her, "It is not something to be ashamed of." _What is he doing here? How did he find me?_ "The more you fight against it, the more it will control you. You must learn to accept and live  with it."

"W-what..." Lavellan croaked out, "I… No I can't," her temper flared, "Do you have any idea what you're suggesting?! You haven't even seen-"

"I have. The spirits have showed me what they saw and what you went through. I've seen everything, Lethallan."

"But Sera-"

"She accepts it as well. She's scared of course, but that's because she's scared for you, not of you. She's waiting and her heart is crying, she needs to know you'll be alright." Solas moved closer and cautiously embraced the dalish elf, "Everybody has darkness within their hearts. You have every right to be angry after everything you've had to suffer throughout your life. But it will rule you, control you, and if you do not accept it... The spirit will splice and separate, your soul will be split back into two and that will kill you at this point." _Back into two?_

"But..." Lavellan stiffened and buried her face in the crook of Solas's neck, she desperately wanted to hide. "M-monster..."

"What I saw was a severely wounded woman-to the point it should have been impossible for you to move whatsoever-determined to do whatever it takes to protect her friends. Even if that meant sacrificing herself. I do not see this 'monster' you speak of. You have a pure heart and spirit fighting to exist, Lethallan. And you were also right about Sera," he reluctantly released her and smiled at the confused orbs where the amber specks finally flickered with life, "I can see that she does have a good heart. And she's waiting by your side right now. Focus on your right hand, Lethallan."

 _What?_ Ellana looked at said hand and then glanced back at Solas in confusion, but when her lips parted to speak she suddenly felt a warm pressure enveloping her hand. She looked down again, gaping in curiosity as to what was causing the strange sensation when nothing was there. "Let me be frank," Solas smirked, "Outside of the Fade, I have a hand on your forehead and the other on your heart. Sera is holding your hand, judging by your reaction you only feel hers. You still have a connection, your heart still feels her. And you already know why that's possible."

Lavellan stared at her hand and flexed her fingers, mumbling quietly, "I can only feel it, because we both feel the same way..." Her lips curled into a hopeful smile, "You don't think she's chained to me, then?"

"Not at all. I'm quite certain she's more than happy to be your bond-mate though she may never admit it out loud, but I believe her actions speak louder than words. Don't you agree Lethallan?"

"I agree," she nodded decisively and steeled herself, the amber specks glowed brightly with resolve as she looked at Solas, "What do I need to do to free these tortured spirits and myself from this wretched nightmare then? Show me what I need to do to accept whatever it is you're telling me to accept."

* * *

Sera's forehead was lined with sweat and her patience was rapidly dwindling down to nothing. She glanced outside the tent flaps and noted the sun's brightness-or lack thereof. _Sun's starting to set, it's almost been an hour._ She nervously chewed on the corner of her lip as she angrily glared at Solas, _c'mon Baldy! Hurry the fuck up!_ She looked down at the unconscious mage and noted how there were faint orange-red glowing lines hidden beneath the collar, _that doesn't look good, the fuck is that?_ She reached over with her other hand and slid across Ellana's cheek, "You can fight this luv, come back to me already. You always take so friggin' long, weirdo." She went against Solas's request and slowly leaned down to kiss the mage, then yelped when something crashed into her nose. **Hard**. _This feels kinda familiar don't it…_

Groans filled the tent and Sera rubbed her nose, blinking furiously to try and stop the world from turning into a mist. It was then she realized she was not the only one groaning and froze immediately, her hands fell from her face and she stared wide-eyed at the elven woman who sat up, rubbing her forehead. "Wha..." She looked at Solas who smiled tiredly, he nodded in affirmation and gestured towards Ellana with his head. _She's… She's alright?_

"Fenedhis… Solas I know you said I'd have a terrible headache but I feel like I just head-butt a wall..."

"Oh so I'm a wall now am I?" Sera smirked when the mage visibly stiffened and her palms covered her eyes, she could smell the woman's fear. "That hurts Ena, what are ya gonna do to make it up to me huh?" In an instant the dalish mage dropped her hands and gaped at Sera in disbelief, but immediately recovered and stood abruptly to leave the tent. "O-oi!" The archer exchanged confused looks with Solas and both of them scrambled to their feet to follow. "Ena where the fuck are you going?!" She glared at the mage beside her, "Baldy what the fuck happened? And she's gonna hurt herself her body must still be bloody stinging!"

Solas shrugged but smiled coyly, he tapped a spot on his neck as he walked away, "Just don't do anything that will trigger her. Not for a few hours anyways, she needs time for a seamless transition." _What the hell's that mean?_ Sera touched a spot on her neck roughly to where Solas pointed on his and winced at the tender spot from where Ellana bit her once, _oh right don't hurt her got it. What the fuck that's none of his business anyways!_ Sera glared at him then looked at the retreating form disappearing in Skyhold's hall, she ignored the curious on-lookers and began to sprint after the elven woman. _What the hell is that daft tit doing, why is she running away from me?!_ Her stomach churned with nausea and her temper flared, _what the fuck did Baldy say to her? I bet that mother fucker trash talked me_ _again_ _, jealous asshole. Too bad, Ena's already_ _ **mine**_ _._

Head tilted upwards, she inhaled deeply and followed the mage's scent, _her room? And why does she smell a little different now?_ She rushed forward and nearly tripped on her own feet, tumbling up the stairs as if there was a dragon breathing fire on her ass. _Somebody's doing that anyways,_ she inwardly grumbled. "Ena!" She kicked the door to the chambers open and stormed up the stairs, her blood chilled and she froze immediately at the sight. The mage was naked and her back faced Sera, the archer's eyes trailed down and soaked in every new detail and scar. There was more healing pink-blue tissue rather than sun-kissed, it was almost like the mage had been in pieces and was crudely sewn back together. It seemed even with specialized healers they could treat the wound but not the skin, but the bones that were once broken were now relatively okay if Ellana was able to move the way she did. All of that was okay, the archer did sew most of the wounds together so she had already known the state Ellana would be in, but the most disturbing was that some of the scars and the spinal tattoo… 'Glowed'. Sera's throat was raw and scratchy, the nausea was threatening to overwhelm her, _what… The fuck did Baldy do to her…?_

"I don't understand," Ellana muttered quietly, "You're clearly afraid of me." She sighed frustratedly and raked her hands through her firebrand hair, "You think my back is bad," she chuckled sarcastically, "If I turn around you'll run for sure."

"I won't," Sera swallowed the thick lump in her throat and walked forward, bracing herself, "Or did you forget I stitched you back together? Just… Was caught off guard, only saw thread and wire, not this."

"Stitched me back together," Lavellan echoed with a tone the archer didn't recognize. _Sad, happy or what?_ She slowly turned around and the archer fought not to run, the sun-kissed skin was covered with even more swollen angry flesh and orange-red glowing lines that seemed to resemble an intricate spider web. "Now I look like what I am." _What?_ _I don't get her._ "Used to be proud since scars were my trophies, my proof of strength and what I've survived. That was the main reason I preferred you to stitch me up since the healers would restore what once was." _The orange bits in her eyes are glowing really bright too..._

"They're still proof of that luv," Sera hesitantly reached out and swallowed the rising frustration, _why didn't you let them beat me Ena?_ Guilt and failure welled up within her, _if I didn't mess up in the first place, she'd never have to go through this._ "You don't need scars to say you're strong, I think. But you do look sexy with them."

"Sexy?" Ellana's eyebrow rose skeptically and Sera grinned mischievously as her fingers brushed the new scar lining the mage's collarbone. _Her eyes are back to normal, still nervous, still scared, but the fire's back._

"Attractive, you know, looks good on you." Her grin grew when she decided to throw out new words the mage wouldn't understand, "Seductive, naughty, arousing… Erotic."

"You've completely lost me Sera," the hoarse timbre was present in Lavellan's tone and she shuddered when the archer's finger trailed down the center of her chest. "I don't understand any of those words." _Do you understand what ya want right now though?_

"I know, that was the point," Sera chuckled at the way the coal eyes swirled with confusion, curiosity, and desire. _Why is it glowing? It magic or fire or what?_ She hesitantly traced one of the intricate glowing web above the elven woman's hip and stepped closer, weaving her hands through the tangled firebrand hair to distract herself from the nausea. "Ena," she whispered, "I'm sorry you went through that. If I didn't-"

 ** _She's got you, and you bring out the real side of her._**

"Don't. It wasn't your fault," Lavellan wrapped her arms around the city elf's waist and pulled her, "Like you told me, it was them who were the monsters. It was their fault. If I had to though, I would do it again to protect you."

" **Fuck. No.** Next time just let 'em beat me Ena, I can handle it. I've already-"

"I know you have." _What? But I never told her…?_ "You've been through more than enough, you don't deserve any more. I don't understand exactly what happened, but I've sensed your anger and bitterness and Solas showed me what that anger typically results from. You went through what I did countless times over and I've seen the faint scars on your body, many of them were not acquired from battle." Ellana framed the archer's face with her hands, "I suspected that when I saw you at the lake."

"W-what?"

"The scars on your back," Lavellan let out a shaky breath, "Faint, but they shone clearly with the moon and water. I thought I was going to lose it then when I had finally figured it out..." _That's why she looked away?_ The mage pulled Sera in for a tender yet desperate kiss, "I didn't know what to do, I wanted to touch them and that's also the… Other reason why I wanted to massage. To get a closer look." _I never knew, but these aren't really a big deal to me. She coulda just asked, I would've…_ The chastising voice in her mind scoffed.

 ** _Back then you would've pushed her away if she got close to that part of you._**

"I thought you had gotten upset when I focused on the scars," _so that's why she got all mopey and sad when she apologized._ "I would rather die than let you suffer the same fate even **one** more time Sera."

"Well don't," the archer smirked at the look of nervousness, "You promised you'd never leave me behind yeah? So no dying, living sounds much better, yeah?" Her hands fell and lightly danced along the forearms, she gently grasped Ellana's wrists and guided her to the bed. "Are you still in a lot of pain?" _This shit looks painful, got to be._

"It's not a problem."

" **Ena**."

"Okay a little bit, I swear it's really not that bad. You do good work."

"Flattery won't get you too far with me, honey-tongue," Sera chuckled softly at the confused look, "I want you to promise me somethin' Ena."

"Anything."

 _Always willing to do whatever it takes for me…_ The archer still had a hard time believing it sometimes, _back then if you asked me who looked out for me, I'd have easily said 'myself'. But now there's you and…_ "I want you to promise me you'll **relax**." She smirked when Ellana's eyebrows furrowed, "I want to do something for you, and I know you'll try to stop me so you can do it for me instead. That ain't happening this time," _she survived the worst. Now she's going to have nothing but the best._ _More than that, even._ "Promise it, Ena." _All she knows is pain, it's time to change that._

"I… Promise? But I don't really understand."

"That's alright," the city elf stood before her and reached into her back pouch, "Before I forget, I've got something for you."

"What? Sera you didn't ha-"

"Shut it. Before you're all 'what the fuck no gifts' I'm just gonna say first of all you started it. Second of all," she opened the clasp and reached inside, pulling out the tattered and dirty hemp rope. "I think you'd miss these and cry a river if you never got 'em back." The look of astonishment on the mage's face made it all worth it. Bull and Vivienne were shouting at her when she recklessly charged through and evaded bandits just to find and grab the wrappings when they were retreating from the fortress, but now, to see what it meant to Ellana… Absolutely worth it.

"Y-you..." Lavellan choked out in disbelief, "How…?"

"By being badass that's how," Sera chuckled at the way the mage's jaw dropped and just stared at her. "But this just means you have to do everything in your power to keep the promise you just made or I'll be upset, got it?" Ellana nodded adamantly and took the rope then placed it on the night table, missing the way the archer unbuckled her belt holding the pouch and dropped it on the ground.

"What would you like me to do?"

"Relax, jeez did you already forget?"

"Well no, but… How?" _She's always fighting, there's no 'off' for her._

Sera sighed, "You can start by not worrying and shutting yer mouth." Her hands hooked under her shirt and she smirked seductively, "Enjoy the show, Ena." _Something that'll drive her crazy, well that's easy. She always rushes, so just do everything really slow._ She rolled up her shirt inch by inch and watched how the coal eyes seemed to be trained on her hands, grinning when the amber specks grew brighter. _Is it wrong to want this?_ She did the same to her leggings, pulling them off slowly and enjoying the way the mage's eyes dilated and swirled with desire, _is it wrong to do this for her?_ After kicking the last of her clothing away she sauntered towards Lavellan, resting her knees on the edge of the bed and tucking them against the elven woman's hips. _We could die tomorrow, there isn't room for regrets anymore._ She leaned back and sat on the mage's thighs, grinning mischievously as Ellana took the moment to explore the archer with her eyes. "That's a first, usually you go nuts and jump me right 'bout now."

"You said," the mage swallowed a thick lump and rasped out, "For me to relax and that I can't stop you or you'd be upset. Don't want to upset you but I want to touch, need to… But I want to prove you can trust me."

"Idiot," Sera rose on her knees to loom over the elf and framed her face, "You proved that a long time ago already. Just want to do somethin' good for you else I can't call myself a Red Jenny. Take a favor out, you gotta put a favor back in."

"I don't do it for you to be in debt to me Sera, I do it because I want to."

"I know that, but you gotta understand," she bent slightly then angled her head so that she pressed her lips to Lavellan's ears and whispered affectionately, "That I want to love you too." Truth be told she was still a little uncomfortable saying that word, 'love', but the way the mage tensed and how her breath hitched made Sera grin with mischief. _That's all she needs to get her going huh?_ She trailed soft kisses down the jaw and to the neck yet remained mindful not to even breathe on the sensitive healing flesh, _always rough, always fast._ She knew enough that people usually behave the opposite in bed as opposed to how they are life, the surest way to give Lavellan the best experience was for her to explore the unknown and things she wouldn't even think to do. Sure enough it helped that Sera was the skilled one, and the more she paid attention to the mage's neck the wider her grin grew when Ellana became visibly restless. _Has an obsession with necks, gonna show her that ain't the only spot that feels good._ With each planted kiss the archer's mind wandered whether what she was doing right now was 'right' for Lavellan, and doubted her motives. _Distraction? Support? Is it just coz I wanna do this to her, that I can't wait, or is it for her? Is this taking advantage of her?_ Her conscience got the best of her and she sighed frustratedly then leaned back. "Sorry, Ena."

"W-what for…?" The mage's eyes glowed slightly and it was clear she was struggling with herself, "Does this mean I can touch you now?"

"No… Just," Sera raked her hand through her hair, _I seriously needa make up my fucking mind. To lead her on like this and stop it is just as bad._ "It ain't right to do this to you after what you've been through."

"Why not? Feels good," Ellana's hands wandered and cupped the archer's rear-end then gave a slight squeeze, her own grin growing as she looked in Sera's eyes. _Clueless but kinky at the same time, that shit shouldn't even be possible._ "Sera, you are my bond-mate. You are someone I trust with my life and someone I trust with **all** of me. The good and the bad, you've seen the worst of me and yet still think the best. You say this isn't right, but it feels nothing  but right and I know you feel that way too." _Then why is this so fucking hard?_ She sat up a little higher with a pained grimace and kissed the corner of Sera's lips, "Ain't right? 'Ain't right' is that fucking room, 'ain't right' is witnessing what previous souls had to go through, 'ain't right' is demons, Corypheus, murderers and liars. There's plenty of things that 'ain't right' but you..." Her lips ghosted over Sera's and whispered as she gazed in the razor-sharp slits, "You are nothing **but** right." _Honey-tongue…_ She glanced over her shoulder when the mage squeezed her rear-end again, looking back at the amber specks that danced with amusement and mischief, _what the?_ "Emphasis on the butt."

Sera bellowed out, "You daft tit," her eyes watered with tears from relief along with sore ribs for laughing too hard, "Seriously? You're full of surprises, yer getting better with your jokes." _I was worried but Ena… She's still Ena. How the fuck does she even do this?_ Her instincts nagged her that there was something different but she amounted it to the traumatic ordeal, _well obvious she's changed a bit, who wouldn't?_

"Learning from the best," the mage ducked her head and planted a soft kiss where Sera's heart resides, her unwavering gaze shining with confidence and resolve. "I. Love. You. 'Ma emma sa'lath. 'Ma vhenan, 'ma'arlath, 'ma da'assan, 'ma'sula, 'ma…" Her lips curled with an affectionate smile the archer has never seen before, "Vhenas." _That one sounded like a big deal but I don't get none o' this pish. Some of it she's said before._ "If this 'ain't right' I don't know what is. Anyways," she squeezed again, "Your scent is driving me insane 'ma vhenan'ara. Can I-"

"Nope," the archer grinned mischievously and stole a chaste kiss, "Think of it as training, luv." _Always thinking 'bout me. Sometimes I still wonder if this is all just a big joke._

"Training for what?"

"To stay you. It's hot when you lose it, but I want you to remember everything that I do to you. Besides, you promised you'd relax which means you have to let me do what I want. It's **my** turn now," she pried off Ellana's hands and slid off her thighs, "Lie more on the bed and on your back." _This is it._ Her heart actually hammered with nervousness when the mage complied, _I don't fucking get nervous, not with this. So why the hell am I?_ She crawled on all fours and noted how the amber specks still glowed brightly despite the dilated eyes, _she's done it for me no problem, and_ _twice_ _._ Trailing soft kisses around the toned stomach she continued to contemplate on her decision, _it ain't me to worry, I take, I fuck, I move on._ She crawled higher and gently nibbled on the meaty junction where shoulder met neck, her arousal spiked at the elven woman's low breathy moan and warm hands that smoothed along her waist. _But this is Ena,_ her one hand ghosted along what was still healthy skin and brushed over to tenderly knead Ellana's breast, lowering slightly to tend to the other with her mouth. _I worry, I ask, I love, I stay. Never thought I'd say this but..._ _Want this to be perfect for her,_ the way the mage's back arched and her confused choked cry made the ache between Sera's thighs nearly unbearable.

 _I_ _love_ _her. Me, of all people, to_ _love_ _someone and be sure of it, hah! If you told me 'bout all this shite three months ago I woulda loaded every arrow I could find in yer arse._ Heat radiated from the dalish elf and the room gradually turned into a sauna, both their bodies glistened with sweat. Sera was extra careful around the numerous fresh scars and made sure to be gentle with her nips, she didn't want the mage to experience another flashback if Sera accidentally pierced her with her sharp canines. "S-Sera," Ellana rasped out, "I need to touch you, taste and-"

"You promised Ena," _oh this is_ _too_ _good._ Watching the mage struggle as hard as she did and the way her eyes shone bright with that feral desire was downright erotic, at least for Sera anyways. Anybody else would have probably run away but something about that danger and the fact Lavellan had a 'dark side' well… She couldn't really deny that she'd fantasized a little despite the messed up dream from long ago. The only difference was that Ena was still 'Ena', and still loved her rather than treating her like a slab of meat.

"I know," Ellana gulped audibly, "But I **need** to."

"You'll just have to wait until my turn is over."

"Fenedhis, when is that?"

"Patience Ena~" Sera smirked, "There'll be plenty of time after. How 'bout we make a wager hmm?" The way the glazed eyes flashed at her made her own ache intensify, _fuck that's a huge turn on._ "I'll take that as a yes. If you lose control before I'm through with my turn, you aren't allowed to touch or kiss me for the week."

"A fucking **week**?! Fuck no!"

"Well then I guess you shouldn't lose control then."

" **Sera**!"

"And if you do stay in control, then you get to fuck me all you want." She noted the confusion, _oh right I forgot she still thinks 'fuck' means 'kill'._ "The real meaning of fuck, Ena," her eyes darkened and she grinned seductively, "Is when you eat me out. You'll get what I mean soon enough." _This is finally fucking it._ Resolve renewed and tempted by desire, Sera's hand trailed lower and smoothed over the mage's slick core, _does she even fucking know why she's wet? Shit…_ She stroked the swollen bud slowly in circles, propped up on her free arm and simply taking in the multitude of expressions Ellana made. The way her lips parted in breathy moans, the half-lidded clouded eyes swirling with confusion and pleasure, Sera honestly thought it felt better than being on the receiving end herself. _So this is how she feels 'bout me, no wonder she goes nuts on me._ _Can't do too many fancy things with her body still sore an' healing and the arm that was broken is probly still painful as fuck. Gotta stick it to simple and old-fashioned, more than enough for her now I think._ She lowered and gently nipped at the mage's pulse point, her lips spreading in a mischievous grin when she felt fingers dig into her hips and a low growl rumble through her. _Healers did a bloody good job if her arm's that strong already._

"You're fucking pushing it right now Sera," Lavellan growled warningly, "I will- ** _fuck_** _!_ "

"Oh I bet you will," Sera chuckled huskily and gently inserted one finger inside, careful not to harm the elven woman in any way. _Hot, so fuckin' hot. Literally._ The velvet softness clamped on her finger and the heat inside rivaled that of flames from hell itself. _Friggin' tight,_ she pushed all the way in and had to contain herself when her own arousal began to ache to the point it was borderline painful, it didn't help when the mage hadn't bothered to restrain her moans. _So fuckin' loud,_ Sera possessively kissed Ellana and poured everything she had, she dipped her tongue in and swallowed the moans and growls she elicited as she pulled her finger out and gently eased back in. _Don't want gentle, want it rough._ That set off warning bells and she slowed down immediately, parting from the tattooed lips and resting her forehead on the sun-kissed shoulder. "Shit," _I'm losing control. I gotta keep my head, can't hurt her. Supposta give her the best fuckin' time of her life._ "Insane."

"This..." Lavellan gulped and breathed quietly, "This is what I do to you?"

"If it feels good, then yeah that's what you do to me."

"Good? Not at all," Sera's heart faltered and panic welled up in her until the mage chuckled hoarsely, "Unbelievably amazing, I've never felt anything like this before. Like something is wound tight and electricity shoots through me with every… Whatever you're doing there." Her eyes were unfocused as they blinked and they fell on the razor sharp slits, "Can I touch you now?"

"No, I'm not done."

"Then hurry up." _Seriously, this daft tit… Still talkin' like this is the most natural thing for her._

"I'm losing my mind Ena, gimme a minute."

" **You**? Are you fucking serious? You're asking me to fight to stay in control when I'm going in-fucking-sane and **you're** losing your mind?" The way Lavellan could  still get angry and impatient, the way she could still be herself despite all of this… _Can't say I'm surprised. She's Ena, and Ena makes her own damn rules._

"Shut up."

"You shut up."

"No you shut up."

"Are we seriously gonna fucking fight right now?" _Love how you swear more now. Tainting the holy Herald._

"Yes, now shut up," Sera grinned when the mage growled and roughly pulled her in for a kiss, all she had to do was curl the finger that was deep inside and Ellana gasped, her back arched and hips bucked in retaliation. _Kinda regretting asking her to stay in control, would be a sight to see her losin' it. But it's fuckin' sexy how hard she's fighting right now,_ _won't be long until she cums._ She slowly eased in a second finger and hungrily sucked on the mage's neck as she cursed in elvhen, _don't know what the hell she's saying but it's probly the same fuckin' shit I scream. Shit even if she's elfy elf that's hot, now I know for sure I've gone batty._ The warm hands frantically explored her and she smirked as she sucked and nibbled, _she shouldn't, buuuuut I guess I'll let it slip if that's what she needs to keep her head._ She felt the way the slick velvet heat hugged and throbbed, _she's close,_ though she didn't necessarily need that if the volume of Lavellan's cursing was any indication.

"S-Sera," Ellana's fingers curled and roughly dug in the city elf's hips, "What's-" she gasped as another surge shot through her, her throat was raw and parched, her voice a gruff timbre. Her hand shot down and grasped Sera's forearm to stop her, "Happening…?" There was a tinge of nervousness in her tone, the archer slowed her fingers to a halt and released the skin she nibbled on. _It's her very first time, course she'll be scared idiot. Should've explained this to her first._

"This," _fuck feels as weird as I thought it would, explaining this shit to her._ "What's about to happen is an orgasm. You'll 'come' and release. It's nothing to be 'fraid of luv, it's completely natural even if it feels weird. It'll feel even better than you already do."

"Even better," the mage heaved for air as her heavily-glazed eyes darted around trying to focus on Sera, "Than _this_? That's impossible. _This_ is what I do to you?" _Ena saying 'impossible'? Oh this is priceless._

"Yep," the archer grinned, "Now you know why I wanted to show you?" Ellana nodded tirelessly, "Are you ready, luv?"

"For what?"

Sera leaned in and pressed her lips to the mage's ear, "To figure out what my favorite thing in the world actually is?"

"It's not fucking demons with arrows then? Or fire?" The genuine question made the archer roll her eyes and chuckle huskily.

" **Fuck** no," she brushed over Lavellan's mouth and whispered against her lips, "Fucking you is my favorite thing in the world," before the elven woman could say anything, Sera curled her fingers and pulled outwards as she gently raked against the rough bump along the velvet wall. _She's fucking mine, Ena's_ ** _mine_** _and now everyone's gonna know it,_ with her own mind covered in the thick haze of lust and love, she lowered and pierced Ellana's shoulder with her sharp canines against her better judgment. She reveled in the choked half-scream and moan, her own arousal intensified when she felt the mage squeeze her forearm in a painful iron-grip. _That's gonna leave bruises, but fuck is that ever worth it._

When the dalish elf finally ran out of steam and settled down from her high, her body slackened and at that realization came crashing down on Sera. _I just… Fuck,_ she tried to retract her teeth as gently as she could and pressed her tongue to the wound she created, guilt filling her when the crimson blood trickled out. _Fuck, fuck, fuck, I wasn't supposed-fuck!_ _Why?! Shit!_ "Ena, I'm sorry," she breathed, "Fuck, I'm so sorry I didn't mean-shit," _I wasn't supposta hurt her,_ " **Fuck**." Frustration welled up in her chest when the mage remained silent, but she couldn't bring herself to look. _She's flashing, isn't she? Her best experience now turned into a fucking nightmare, she'll never want to do this ever again._

 ** _Just don't do anything that will trigger her._**

 _Piss off Baldy! I don't need you pissing me off in my head too!_ She stilled when the elven woman breathed deeply and exhaled sharply, "Sera..." _Here we go, she's gonna call you an idiot, tell you you're the fuckin' worst. Ask how you could do that after what she's been through and-_ "C-can I touch you now? I don't know how much longer I can fight."

 _...What?_

Instead of waiting for Sera's answer, the mage managed to catch her by surprise and rolled them so she was on top, she kissed the archer with desperate urgency and supported herself with her good arm while the tender one experimentally mimicked what Sera did to her. _Wait, what the fuck just happened?_ Sera's eyes fluttered open and she tried to focus on the elven woman past the thick haze of lust, _nothing was triggered? She's alright?_ Her heart suddenly beat erratically and relief flooded her, _she came and it ain't the end of the world. And she's still here, she ain't leaving._ _And_ _she's 'bout to-_ " _Fuck_ , Ena..." The mage lowered on her elbows and trailed her tongue along Sera's collarbone.

"Why were you scared, just then?"

The archer blinked confusedly and rasped out, "What…?"

"When you apologized, I've never… Smelled that before. A mixture of fear and guilt this time, but I don't get it. All of that felt surreal, amazing, there's just… Words don't seem enough, I don't know how to explain it." She noted when Sera's eyes dipped to where she bit and Ellana grinned, "You're worried about the bite? You do remember the purple neck I gave you right? And besides," she lowered and planted a tender kiss on the very first mark that was beginning to fade away, "I got curious and looked it up in my old tome before, that's how bond-mates mark and publicly declare to others their partner is claimed." _Seriously…?_

"A fuckin' hickey." Sera fought not to laugh, "Elfy elves ain't so different after all. Just fancier ways of saying fuck, lovers, and hickeys. So, what did my purple neck mean in yer elfy tome then?" _This ought to be good, she'll probly say somethin' like oh a purple neck means my elfy gods will-_

"It means if anybody touches you I'll rip them apart with my bare hands," Ellana growled and her eyes flashed dangerously, "You're **mine** , Sera. Nobody is allowed to have you but me."

 _Well now..._

"Well that's selfish innit? Don't I get a say?" Sera wasn't particularly serious with that question, but she couldn't pass up the chance to tease the possessive mage and see how she'd react. When she felt sharp canines pierce the fleshy part of her neck, her lips parted in a silent scream as she choked out a gasp. The pain-pleasure had felt more intense than before, and the way Ellana roughly squeezed her breast was beginning to make her wonder how in the world the elven woman managed to stay sane. "Neither of us," she winced when the mage became even more rough and urgent with her touches, "Likes to share. Not surprised."

" **Still** talking," Lavellan growled, "Shut the fuck up already." _Feisty now isn't she?_ "Before we fight, or else I'll lose it then." _Fight? She angry at somethin' then?_ The moment the mage shimmied down lower it was like she had completely switched. Her aggressive touching all but melted and instead was replaced tender kisses, when Sera managed to focus past the drunken haze she rose her head to look down. _This… Daft tit…_ Her stomach twisted pleasantly and her heart swelled, Ellana had been focusing on her own scars that have almost faded away with how old they are. Sera watched guiltily, the woman still probably felt that she was a monster with how her body looked, yet not once did she utter anything remotely close to blame. _She's marked up and mine you gotta pay close attention just to find 'em…_

"Ena..." She hadn't the slightest clue what she wanted to say, but her heart urged her to say at least that. Her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes watered, _great now I'm a mopey fucking tit. Who the hell cries during sex?_ She reached out and gently wove her fingers through the firebrand hair, "Kiss me Ena."

"Ma nuvenin," the warm smile was still there, the warmth and fire was still in her eyes despite the odd glow. _How has she not lost it?_ When Lavellan eased up the two stared at each other. Anybody else and Sera would have looked away, nervous at what people could see in her eyes. _It's different with her,_ she gulped audibly when she noticed the multiple shades of black and gray in the coal eyes, _never really looked this hard this close._ _Smoke and fire huh?_ "Sera," the mage whispered affectionately, "Why do you still smell guilty? It's not your fault, it never was."

"Just kiss me already."

"No."

"Ena, now is-"

"Precisely the time to be stubborn. Tell me, why?" _Fuck sake!_

"Don't you have some insane-ing to do? You know, losing control, going batty from scent and taste?"

"I've a better handle on it now that I've accepted it. After what Solas revealed to me, I'd have no choice but to accept it." _What?_

"Accepted… What?" When Ellana looked away, fear welled up in the archer's chest and she reached up, sliding her palm along the mage's cheek. "Ena?"

"You won't like it. It's elfy. Well not really elfy it shouldn't be, I mean we dalish-the Keeper-I've been taught even spirits are dangerous but yet..." Lavellan let out a frustrated sigh and lowered, resting her forehead on Sera's shoulder and letting out shaky breaths. _What the fuck is she talking about? I don't get none of this!_ "I don't understand, but Solas, he-and it makes sense now that I think about it, well sort of. Fenedhis I still don't get it… I mean he said it's normal because I wouldn't have known since it's part of me, and it's not like I can really converse but I mean-fuck I don't know what I mean."

"Luv slow down, take deep breaths, and look at me." Sera's eyebrows furrowed as she tried to make sense of the mage's ranting, _is that why she's got these weird glowy lines? They're slowly getting dull so that's got to be a good thing right?_ When Ellana lifted her head and looked at her, the archer's heart squeezed painfully, _she looks so damn scared, that ain't her._ "Look, if you're worried you'll upset me yer fine, okay? Just tell me what's going on."

"Sera..." The mage averted her gaze and let out another shaky sigh then blurted out as quickly as possible, "A spirit merged with me."

"Merged… Like..." Sera's eyes widened and her heart hammered erratically against her chest, "You're fucking _possessed?_ "

"No! I mean, yes and no I don't know! I'm not possessed in the sense that you're thinking of-Sera listen to me," the archer tried to crawl out from underneath and Ellana grabbed her shoulders to stop her. "Listen to me! It's not a bad thing, what happened is not a bad thing!" _She turned fuckin' demony anyways!_

"A fucking demon possessed you and-"

"I said **listen to me**! You said I wouldn't upset you dammit, at least hear me out!"

"Get OFF Ena!" _She ain't her anymore,_ Sera glared and seethed vehemently, "IF you're even 'Ena'." Hurt flashed on the mage's features and she slackened her grip, she reluctantly clambered off Sera and slid to sit at the edge of the bed.

"Really..." Lavellan rested her elbows on her knees and slightly bent forward, the scars and the tattoo on her spine ebbed and flowed with the glow. "You know, for your information," she whispered bitterly, "It's not as if this spirit has just merged with me now. It's always been with me, it's part of me, it **is** me." She smoothed her hands along her face and raked her tangled hair back then stood, walking dejectedly to gather her clothes. "I just don't understand," _neither do-fucking-I._ "You accept the fact that I almost killed you, you accept how I killed those men in that stupid fucking room but," she whirled around, fists clenched and eyes flashing dangerously, "Once something spiritual comes into play **that's** when you can't accept it? You cast it off as demonic possession? You said I'm not a monster yet you believe it's fucking **demonic possession** Sera? I don't even look like a fucking demon, and I've been doing nothing but fighting demons!"

"How the fuck am I supposta know huh?! You lose it in the blink of an eye, you've got weird fuckin' glowy shit happening to you, Vivi said you might not be able to resist demons and now yer tellin' me Baldy's saying you ain't even human! Elfy elf shit! Whatever!" The archer's mouth gaped when the glow seemingly flickered, _what the fuck is happening to her?_

" **I'm still me**." Ellana quickly dressed and turned her back to the archer, "I need fresh air and go do..." She glanced over her shoulder and spat bitterly, " **Elfy elf** **shit**." When the hinges creaked and the door slammed shut, Sera hugged her knees to her chest and groaned frustratedly. _What the hell do you expect me to think, Ena? We frig and all of a sudden you go from nutty to 'I'm merged with whatever!' The hell does that even mean? Yer mom frigged a fuckin' demon and you popped out or what? It's too fuckin' much for me to just take yer friggin' word for it!_ She raked her hand through her hair, _this don't match the bloody stories from the Chantry either..._ There was only one thing Sera could think of and she sighed exasperatedly.

" **Fuck**."

* * *

 **"What the hell did you just slap us with?"**

I'm going on vacation this weekend and figured I would explain what just happened (didn't want to spoil it at the beginning of the chapter). Now first things first, I just want to point out that Ellana will not turn into Anders and slowly descend into madness, though she will retain her love for blowing things up it won't be out of the need to start a revolution (not intentionally anyways :P). The spirit that's 'merged' with her-as she pointed out to Sera-has always been with her. How far back though, when had this happened? This is something that will be revealed with Solas.

Though the first guess of what type of spirit may have been Justice who turned into Vengeance (like Anders), this is not the case. Think about it, besides Sera and fire what is the **one** thing Ellana loves and constantly does? Fight. She trains, she fights, she tackles things head-on. Throughout the course of the story, we have seen (as Sera has pointed out a few times) that Ena carries herself 'as if the situation isn't hopeless'. She fights no matter what the odds are and hardly shows fear: she is courageous. The spirit that merged with her is a Spirit of Valor (Origins anybody?) It is spirit of combat and one that shows great courage in the face of danger, especially anything relating to fighting or battles.

The reason why Ellana has been having trouble and there was the risk of her soul being split into two along with demonic possession is because of the traumatic ordeal and constant physical/mental torture. She had been 'broken', rendered helpless, couldn't fight and to top it all off had felt true fear (especially when she had willingly succumbed to rage in order to save everybody). Her entire life she had been struggling with anger after the death of her parents and later Samahl, and because spirits can morph and grow when inside a body this in turn made the Spirit of Valor's love for fighting alter to be more 'bloodthirsty'.

"Why didn't we see the spirit and Ena talking to each other?" This is because there is no 'Spirit' and no 'Ena'. They are together, merged, one cannot exist without the other. When there are voices that is when Ellana's soul is in danger of being separated because her mind is struggling to cope with the overwhelming shock. We see this struggle during Alexius and now the torture chamber, and have also seen countless examples of how she 'handles' her enemies. The reason why Ena had never known she was merged with a spirit because it's-as Anders once explained-not like she can sit down and converse with it. It's as much part of her as she is part of it, there is no end to Valor and no beginning to Ena. Dalish also do not use magic involving spirits and commonly believe that they are dangerous, just as Merrill once stated "There's no such thing as a good spirit." That is part of the shock for Ellana when Solas shows her and helps her accept (again it will be revealed later) and why he warns Sera so that Ena can have a 'seamless transition'.

So what will happen now that Ellana knows and has accepted that she harbors a spirit? What does this mean for her magical abilities and what will happen to the 'bloodthirsty' urges? More of that remains to be seen. There's much I'd like to explain but I don't want to spoil it either, one thing I will say though is that writing about when they are physically trapped in the Fade will certainly be fun :D Hope this helped clear things up at least a little bit! See you next week mates, have a good weekend!


	25. Memories

**Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!**

 **AN** **:** I've been wondering for the longest time what it would be like to write a character opposite to Ena (for major personality traits anyways), and have also wanted to try my hand with an element not featured in the game along with a certain specialization from Origins: the Shapeshifter (if you ask me it would've been so badass if they had that in Inquisition). I'll have that story up shortly, and some of you may be entertained at some subtle references I add about Ena in the story :P It's called "Fen'myal", elvhen for "Hunting [a] Wolf" and a little introduction on the character is there. Next chapter will be some lighthearted fun!

 **Quick explanation:** Dalish bury their dead, not burn. There is a significant amount of preparation done to the body and a particular 'Death Rite' concluding with a tree planted above the grave to symbolize that life goes on. Another important concept is that the Dalish believe that the death of one fuels the life of another. Though Ena wasn't particularly shunned or abused by her clan, she wasn't wholeheartedly accepted with open arms either.

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _Sulahn:_ Sing

 _Lath sulevin, lath araval ena:_ Be certain in need, and the path will emerge

 _Fen:_ Wolf

 _Mamae/Babae:_ Mother/Father

 _Ir abelas:_ I'm sorry

 _Ala sal'shiral:_ You are my soul's journey (aka you are the love of my life)

* * *

 **Memories**

* * *

 _If I stay here any longer I'm going to lose it,_ Ellana quickly darted into the lower levels of Skyhold before Josephine saw her and hastily strode past the vault, _I need to get out of here._ She slowly inched the door to the kitchen open and waited until the cooks faced away from her then silently crossed the room and into the courtyard. _I can't afford word to get out that I'm leaving, but people will see me anyways._ She chewed on her lip irritatedly and her temper flared, _would it be so much to ask for to be left alone? To sort this mess out in my head by myself?_

 ** _Remember Inquisitor, nobody else must know about this. I don't think Sera will tell anyone but if word got out about the spirit, people would be afraid-just like with Cole-and think you were possessed by a demon instead._**

 _Yeah Solas that went really well with Sera considering how she thinks I'm possessed anyways,_ she sighed frustratedly and stormed down the steps. _I forgot about Cole too, but then again he's been doing that on purpose anyways, I'm sure._ She went into the stables and noted how Blackwall glanced over his shoulder then went back to whatever it was he was chiseling away. It was then he stiffened and whirled around, confusion on his features. "Inquisitor," the gruff warrior hesitantly approached her, "Shouldn't you be-"

"Blackwall, I need your help, and I need you to promise me you won't tell anybody." The man seemed conflicted with the request but nonetheless nodded.

"Yes milady of course. What do you need?"

"I want to get out of Skyhold for a little bit, but people will either try to stop me or follow me. Would you by any chance be willing to ride with me so that they know I'm not alone, and leave me for a couple hours?"

"I can do better than that milady," Blackwall walked around the table and opened up a chest then pulled out a hooded cloak and a scarf, "If you do not mind insubordination, we can pretend you're a recruit and that I'm taking you out to train, I do that regularly here."

"Perfect," Ellana nearly melted with relief and allowed the warrior to help her with the cloak then wrapped the scarf around the hood to cover half her face. "I appreciate this, if you ever need any-"

"Don't mention it Inquisitor, I know what it's like to need solitude and peace from troubles. You most likely haven't had the chance to relax ever since the Conclave."

 ** _I want you to promise me you'll relax._**

"I… Yes that's true."

"Here, we should also give you a sword to look the part," Blackwall took his weapon off the rack and secured the scabbard to the mage's waist, the weight of the belt and sword was lighter than Lavellan expected. _Isn't he going to stop me? To tell me I should rest from my wounds and recuperate from what happened? Surely he knows._ The warrior gestured with his hand to the stables and she quietly followed him, waiting until he got settled in on a horse then helped her up behind him. When they rode out the warrior lied to the gate guards with ease, as soon as the gate was lifted he set off on a gentle trot. Oddly enough the motion hadn't lulled the mage to sleep, but she amounted it to feeling terrible about running away, lying, and all the burden that's constantly piling on her.

"Blackwall," Ellana mumbled, "Is this wrong of me?"

"What's wrong of you, milady?"

"To run away for a little bit."

"It's a little concerning after what had happened in Crestwood," the mage tensed and averted her gaze to the distant mountains, _so he does know then._ "But I don't blame you for wanting to run away, especially when you wouldn't have been given the chance to sort this out. Your advisors are good people but they wouldn't give you the breathing space you need and they'd be all up in your business. The others that are closer to you, their concerns would merely bog you down and judging from what I've seen of you thus far… I believe you would pretend you were alright for their sake."

Lavellan nodded and scooted closer to the warrior, "How do you deal with these sorts of things?"

"Hmm," Blackwall stroked his beard and hummed thoughtfully, "What do you mean by that?"

"Of all the bad things that happen in the world. How do you deal with that? How do you cope with it existing?"

"You don't cope, you shouldn't anyways," the warrior felt how she deflated behind him, "But that's why you fight hard to change it. Tell me, if there is a murderer in front of you, would you cope with his existence and how he's killed innocents?"

"If he doesn't have a damn good reason-which there isn't if he's slaughtered innocents-I'd kill him myself." Ellana's head tilted in confusion when she smelled something off about the warrior but then it was gone, and he shrugged then nodded.

"Exactly, something like this you just can't cope. You fight and you atone, you make best with what you've got. Sometimes milady, good things fall apart so better things can fall together. Now, is there a specific place you'd wish to go?"

"Anywhere with a forest and a pond. I have something I need to do."

* * *

Knocks snapped Sera out of her reverie and her head shot up, "Just me! Ena left a little while ago!" She wrapped the blankets around her when the door was unlocked and armored footsteps rushed up the stairs, "Red?"

"Sera," _why's she look out of breath?_ " **Where** did the Inquisitor go?"

"I dunno," the archer shrugged and scooted off the bed, she dropped the blankets uncaring of Leliana seeing her and made way for her clothes, "Like I said she left a little while ago." _She looks freaked out,_ "Somethin' happen?" After easily slipping into her underclothes she worked on her leggings next, one small hop and tug was all she needed and she worked on her boots.

"We can't find her," the Spymaster quickly looked around the room for any clues, "My scouts reported she was last seen heading into the stables. 7 minutes later, Blackwall was seen with an unknown recruit in a hooded cloak leaving Skyhold." She turned around and her eyes narrowed on the frozen archer, "You mean you didn't **know**? You don't know at all where she may have gone?"

"I..." What could she say? Sera's jaw hung ajar while her heart constricted with guilt and fear, _I pissed her off bad 'nough to run away?_ "I-" she swallowed the thick lump in her throat when her voice cracked, she shook her head and averted her gaze to the ground. _I didn't mean to…_ She pulled her shirt over her head and fumbled with the laces, her fingers quivering.

"Do you have any idea where she may have gone, Sera?"

"No," the archer clenched her fist and whipped her head up, her razor sharp slits dilated with anger as she seethed vehemently, "But I know somebody who does." She brushed past the confused Spymaster and stormed straight for Solas's room, everybody who saw her in the hallway immediately steered clear of the fuming elf. As soon as she spotted the hedge mage painting along the wall she charged towards him, whirling him around by his shoulders and grabbing his collar. The paint brush fell to the ground with a loud clang that echoed in the tower, everyone above them glanced over the railing to watch the exchange. Solas simply stared calmly at the clearly infuriated elf, she slammed him against the wall and seethed an inch away from his face. " **Talk**."

"You'd need to specify about what first." Solas cringed when the archer slammed him against the wall again, the paint was seeping into his thin shirt. "Don't divulge sensitive information about the Inquisitor," he whispered, "People will panic and-"

"People are already panicking you arsehole! Ena's fucking missing!" At this the hedge mage didn't seem to be surprised whatsoever and frankly, it made Sera want to kill him right then and there. _Kill him after we find Ena,_ "So you know that already. Then where did she go?"

"That I do not know, but she **must** be alone if she's chosen to do it now."

"Do what now? Why does she have to be alone? Which she isn't by the way, she took Blackwall with her." That done it, Solas looked surprised and uncomfortable at that, _so her being alone is more important? Why?_ "Tell me Baldy, or me feedin' yer balls is gonna be the least of yer fuckin' worries." The mage sighed and glanced over her shoulder, he shook his head and whispered quietly.

"Alright, but may we speak about this when half of Skyhold is not eavesdropping on us?"

* * *

"I need to be alone, Blackwall."

"I'm afraid I can't do that milady," the gruff warrior replied, "Now I'm not saying I'll stay right here, but I will stay on the look out so you won't be ambushed. Fair enough?"

"Yes, so long as you maintain a safe distance away from me," she noted the man's concerned look, "It's for your own safety in case if things go wrong."

"What will you be doing?"

 ** _Remember Inquisitor, nobody else must know about this._**

"That's..."

 ** _You trust too easily, get burned for that someday._**

Ellana sighed and averted her gaze, _he smells off and something tells me it's not the taint. Is he someone I can trust?_ She chewed her lip, _I've never had to think about trusting, I just took the leap and did it. If I got burned I'd get revenge, or handle it, but now…_ She raked her hand through her hair and steeled herself, "You'll think I'm crazy if I tell you. I mean I even think it's crazy, so you'll-"

"I already do," Blackwall replied with a hint of amusement and crossed his arms, "Crazy strong. If it makes you uncomfortable to talk about it then that's okay. So long as you are safe as well, milady, I trust that you know what you are doing."

"It'll be some meditation is all," Lavellan hesitantly glanced up, _he knows that's not the full story but won't press. He trusts me just like that, something I should be doing as well._ "So if I do not respond that is why. I'll be in the pond in case if I happen to erupt in flames." The warrior's eyes widened and he looked at her completely confused, "It's normal don't worry, which is why I'll be in the pond so it doesn't get out of control and hurt you or burn the forest down while I'm still in a meditative state."

"I… See… In any case, good luck then. I'll keep watch over us, rest assured we'll be safe."

"Thank you for this Blackwall," she bowed and took off the scarf and cloak then handed it to him, she turned around and began to strip her clothing one by one. She smelled nervousness from the man but shrugged, the warrior immediately turned around and gave her privacy. She looked down and lightly traced one of the thin glowing lines that started just below the middle of her left collarbone and stopped in between her breasts. Her eyes trailed along many of the scars that marked her skin and the intricate glowing webs that dotted here and there. She wove into the pond, sighing in content when the refreshing water washed the dirt away. _Not here to bathe,_ she nodded affirmatively, _like Solas said, the sooner I do this the better._ She dove under and swam to the center, breaking the surface and relaxing her muscles as she floated on her back. She spread her limbs out and focused on even, deep breathes, clearing her mind as she imagined releasing her spirit from her body. _Am I ready for this?_

 ** _You must do this alone Lethallan, in case if your magic reacts to your anger. There is a blocked memory in which you nor I can access. I can unlock it, but you must seek out what it is on your own._**

 _But what? Why is it blocked?_ She chewed her lip in nervousness and her calm mind was slowly pulled back to reality, she could feel the sun on the anterior side of her body and relaxed when the cool water submerged the posterior side. _Am I ready…?_ She sighed, _even if I'm not, I have to be now. I have to accept everything and free myself so Valor will no longer be abused by rage._ She returned to her even breathing and next focused on the soothing smell of dirt, the gentle rustling of leaves and singing of birds in the distance as the water lapped against the edges of the pond. Murmuring lowly she could vaguely hear the rough timbre of her voice echo in the background as she slipped into her meditative state, "Dirthamen… Uncloud my eyes."

* * *

"Mamae!" Lavellan watched as a spectral observer and saw how a little elven girl ran into the arms of her mother. The girl couldn't have been more than 5, and when Ellana looked around she noticed an older man and a young boy that looked to have been 10. _Who… Are they?_ Upon closer inspection she noticed something vitally important. Both the little girl and older man had coal eyes. _Is that… Babae?_ Her throat constricted and she walked towards the older man, unfortunately the family couldn't see her. _I've had no memories of them whatsoever but it really feels like Babae..._ Her head whipped to the older woman who had firebrand hair and the biggest grin that the little girl mirrored, _mamae!_ "Mamae~" the little girl sang, "Sing!"

"With how much she loves singing I'm starting to think we should have named her Sulahn," Babae chuckled, "What do you think? The next hearthmistress or storyteller?"

"Hearthmistress. Blessed by Sylaise herself," Mamae whispered with affection, "She loves fire too, too young to understand it'll burn her if she gets too close though. Sometimes I can't craft with her around." Mamae lifted the little girl by the waist, making swooshing sounds and laughing while the girl pretended she was flying. Then Ellana noticed another vitally important thing… Both girls were naked. _Mamae had a stripping habit too?_ Her mother's body was covered in beautiful vallaslin and Lavellan grinned with pride, _she was really strong to endure all of that..._

"Ena's gonna be a hunter with me!" The young boy exclaimed excitedly, "We play all the time, showed her my bow!" _Samahl?_

"Samahl," Babae chastised sternly, "You know she's too young to be playing with weapons. Do not teach your sister dangerous-" The parents stiffened immediately and their heads shot off in the direction where rustling of leaves could be heard. Mamae gently lowered the little girl and held a finger to her lips to signal her to hush. "Samahl, take your sister and hide behind the tree." Both parents drew their weapons, Babae pointed his bow in the direction of the sound and Mamae reached for a dagger stabbed in the ground.

"We've strayed too far from camp," the mother whispered, "I smell shemlen."

"Small," little Ena slurred and tugged on her brother's wrist, "What's wrong?" Her eyebrows furrowed when Samahl clasped his hand over her mouth and knelt down to be eye level with her, he shook his head and shushed her. The two watched as their parents remained trained and alert, their eyes darting around and checking their surroundings. The spectral Ellana was just as tense and could feel the fear in the air radiating from her parents, she walked towards them and reached out but her hand merely passed through her mother's shoulder. _Mamae…_ She inspected them closely, _I got Babae's eyes and Mamae's hair,_ she peered inside the older man's eyes and noted he didn't have the amber specks she did however, and neither did the older woman. _So where does that come from then?_ The tension in the atmosphere melted and her father sheathed his weapon while her mother thrust the dagger back in the ground, they let out a sigh of relief and visibly relaxed.

"Perhaps it was an animal, shemlen smell just like them," Mamae joked and patted her stomach, "I'm hungry, Revas." _Babae's name was Revas? Freedom?_ She noted how father's vallaslin resembled Andruil and her mother's was June, _so Mamae was a crafter and Babae a hunter then?_ There was too much she didn't know and Samahl had trouble remembering their parents as well. She hoped that her father would say Mamae's name back and waited with bated breath.

"You're always hungry Glandival, let the children play a little longer before we go to camp." _Glandival? That sounds familiar… I'll need to ask Solas when I go back._ Mamae grumbled and pouted while Ellana grinned with pride, _I'm exactly like Mamae._ "Samahl, Ellana, it's safe to come out now!" The little girl squealed with excitement and bolted it right over the bushes, sprinting as quickly as her little feet could carry her. Mamae laughed and knelt on one knee, arms spread out wide and waiting for the bundle of energy to tackle her. Lavellan's head whipped to the left when she heard something shuffle in the bushes and her eyes widened, both parents had done the same but didn't react quickly enough. Mamae dove forward to protect the little girl and Babae took an arrow to the chest, the mage could see Samahl cowering behind the bushes with his hands clamped over his mouth and eyes dilated with pure fear. Ellana had been afraid, she was petrified and she knew that was also what the little girl felt, _no…_ She chewed her lip nervously, _the day shemlen ambushed us, killed Mamae and Babae…_ Samahl had only remembered that the clan came to their rescue, but looking at their surroundings and the shemlen that came out into the open with their bows trained on the downed woman and crying little girl that seemed unlikely at the moment. _I don't hear anybody from the clan._

"Shhh baby girl," Mamae whispered, "Everything will be alright, mamae's here," the little girl kept crying, pinned under the older woman's body. "Lath sulevin, lath araval ena," she sang affectionately and kissed the top of the young girl's forehead to calm her. "I need you to run to your brother as soon as I roll off of you, okay?" She smiled warmly, "Mamae has to teach these shemlen manners. I'll be back soon da'len." The armed shemlen kept screaming at her to stand up slowly, arrows aimed right for her head. Ellana steeled herself for what was to come as her mother rolled off and the young girl complied, running away and making the men panic. Before one released his arrow for the little girl, Glandival grabbed the nearby dagger and sliced his hand clean off, the other two reacted angrily and riddled her with arrows. _She never stood a chance, why would you recklessly die like that Mamae?_ Ellana looked sadly at her dead father and could feel anger boiling beneath the surface, _she died to avenge Babae, to protect me before the shem killed me as well._ Looking ahead, she noted how the little girl didn't run to Samahl, for some reason she had stopped and her eyes were wide with fear. _I… Watched Mamae die in front of me?_

Suddenly, intense wrath choked Lavellan and inferno immediately consumed her, she howled in rage and her knees buckled, her entire body cloaked in flames. _What is happening to me?!_ Looking beyond the fire she noted the same happened to the little girl and her eyes widened in realization, _this is the day I discovered I had magic…?_ The shemlen panicked and one of them strode to the young girl cloaked in flames, she too was on her knees and crying with her palms pressed against her eyes.

"Shut that fucking demon up! Kill it before it sets this whole fucking forest on fire!" Samahl had jumped out of the bushes and to his sister's defense, standing in front of her with arms spread wide and angrily glaring at the men with tears streaking down his cheeks. He too seemed scared at what was happening to the little girl, glancing over his shoulder and repeatedly asking if she was okay and to calm down. The fire merely grew, and with it the wrath that Ellana could also feel. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she had begun to actually suffocate, she grabbed at her throat and her heart hammered erratically. Sudden fear welled up within her and her eyes widened, _Samahl get out of there before you burn!_ Instead the young boy courageously turned around…

And hugged his sister.

 _SAMAHL!_ Her mouth hung ajar, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. The flames hadn't hurt him whatsoever and she could hear his whispers in her own ear. The fire continued to grow and she shielded her eyes with her forearm when a sudden bright light erupted and the sound of an explosion wracked the air. When she came to and lowered her arm, the rage that had threatened to consume her slowly died out as Samahl continued to chant, "It's okay Ena." She looked around her in disbelief, the entire forest had been set ablaze and the two young children stood unscathed in the middle of it all. What was worse was when the little girl walked forward, sniffling and wiping her eyes with her tiny little fists clenched. She turned around and whispered guiltily to her brother.

"Mamae and Babae? Where are they?" The young girl knew very well but hoped by some miracle… Ellana could feel the anger at herself this time as she saw Samahl slowly shake his head and rush to embrace her once more.

"It's not your fault Ena, it's okay." _It was my fault, it's not okay._ Lavellan's eyes glazed over the ashes that sprinkled down like snow and covered the children as the remaining trees crackled and whined from the flames that slowly extinguished by themselves. _Now I know why Keeper said they weren't buried._ Neither of them understood what had happened, but the little girl felt responsible since she was taught being angry was bad… And now she had proof of it.

Mamae and Babae's bodies were burnt to ashes.

* * *

"Okay, so where the fuck would she actually go to do that?" Sera leaned against the wall and crossed one leg over the other, her arms folded as she watched the hedge mage with suspicion. "She **can't** be alone, not after what happened. Are you stupid? Too much shit can go wrong."

"Under normal circumstances yes, but this is a special case. Valor can only," Solas noted the grimace and eye twitch at the mention of the spirit's name, "Endure so much raw anger. It's fascinating to have seen it-"

"Oi! Ena ain't some fuckin' object you can study!" She unfolded her arms and pushed off the wall with her shoulder blades, closing the distance between the two of them in a matter of seconds. "What the hell will this do to Ena when she does… Whatever it is you're saying."

"It will give her much more control over her anger and… Blood lust. She won't be lost into blind rage over mere death and-"

"Death ain't 'mere'," Sera snarled, "I don't care what it'll do to her for fighting, she'll either punch people or blow shit up one way or another. What will it do to **Ena**?"

"Rest assured," Solas remained calm despite the infuriated elf in his face, "She will remain who she is. Let me be clear, this spirit has been with her since she was a child. Ena is Valor and Valor is Ena, they are not separate but are at risk of it right now. What she's doing now is helping her stay as one, together."

"And… What if she wasn't with whoever?"

"She can't be without or she'd die at this point, which is why I helped her when we were at the tent. Think of it this way, Valor is a trait that Ena wholeheartedly embodies. If by chance she lived without Valor, she wouldn't be 'Ena', as you say. She'd more than likely be a coward crying at the sight of-"

"Ena ain't a coward," Sera scowled, oh how she wanted to beat the crap out of this mage right now.

"I'm only saying what would be the case without the spirit that's part of her," Solas rose his hands, "Sera even if you do not accept that, it's a fact that you cannot change. It's something she cannot change nor has control over, do not give her grief for that."

"Who said anything 'bout accepting?" The archer whirled around and started to walk back towards the gates, "Why the hell did you take us all the way out here anyways? Fuckin' cold, stupid frozen lake."

"It's easy to see you disapprove. There's nothing to be afraid of Sera and-"

"Are you fuckin' stupid? Yer tellin' me something **else** is part of Ena and that's probly a fuckin' demon! You call all demons yer buddies and 'spirits'," she seethed and clenched her fists. She glanced over her shoulder, "But yer right, it's somethin' that can't be changed. So I'm gonna find Ena and make sure she don't blow us all to hell."

"And how will you manage that?"

"Ena's not the only one with a good nose," Sera breathed deeply, "Helps that her scent's changed."

"What?" Solas shot up immediately and strode to her, whirling her by the shoulders, "What do you mean her scent's changed?"

"The fuck Baldy?! Hands off!" She swatted his arms away and glared, "What part don'tcha get? She smells different, duh."

"Well yes, but different how? I didn't notice a difference and believe me when I say I would have," he wrinkled his nose in disgust, "Especially since I can smell her all over you and don't even get me started on what a fool you are to have-"

"None of yer business what we do," Sera folded his arms, "She still smells all ashy and woody. And sunny, still never gonna get how the fuck I know how sun smells like but whatever." She shrugged, "She smells… Shit I dunno. Raw? Spicy? Burns my throat a little like good mead." Her eyebrow rose skeptically, "The hell you lookin' like I grew 'nother head for?"

"That's..." Solas shook his head, "Something you'll need to discuss with her. Come let's go to the stables and find her."

"No way, goin' by myself."

"If something has gone wrong, she will need someone to guide her in the Fade again."

"Mnng… Fine." Sera spun on her heel and started jogging back, "Let's find her fast before the cold freezes my fuckin' nose off." She shrugged off the quiet murmur and amounted it to Solas being weird and stupid.

"You shouldn't be able to smell..."

* * *

Memories. Nothing but reliving memories, Ellana was exhausted. How long had she been here? How can she get out? She's watched nothing but how she had constantly failed as a child, how she couldn't concentrate on her studies nor control her fire without burning something down of value. When the clan found the two children amongst the ashes they brought them immediately to the Keeper and instead of grieving, the woman had taken Ellana and begun to train her. She wasn't given any explanations, she didn't understand anything but anger for she couldn't see her brother and her parents were just… Gone. She couldn't figure out how to call on the fire the Keeper kept asking her to do. When she threw a tantrum and refused to listen to the Keeper, she ran away from the clan and started to head into the deeper parts of the forest.

 _Coward,_ Lavellan watched herself with sadness, _I was scared of everything because someone always protected me. I didn't care about what anyone wanted, I just wanted Mamae and Babae back. I wanted to play with Samahl again, and I was angry when they wouldn't let me._ 5 years old and already her head was filled with words like 'duty' and 'lead the clan to glory'. Every time she was brought back to the clan they needed to situate more hunters to guard the perimeter to prevent her from escaping again. _Why didn't they just let me run away,_ Ellana felt bitter but knew why, every child born as a Dalish is a gift, a blessing. It's one more to survive, one more to carry the lost lore and proof of glory. _I didn't feel like a blessing,_ she watched as the little girl panicked when she set her arm on fire, though it didn't hurt it was still frightening. _I felt like a curse. Punished, because of me Mamae and Babae had died. If I hadn't run to her, laughing loudly, they would've heard the shemlen. Mamae died to protect me…_ The memories jumbled around and she saw the young girl who now looked a little older, perhaps 7 or 8? Lavellan knelt down and looked at her, _coal eyes without the amber still._ She chewed on her lip in nervousness, _I felt like a monster,_ her eyes fell on the Keeper who clearly looked upset. _I remember this._

"You've no talents beyond burning and killing everything," the Keeper spat heatedly, she gestured to the dead halla behind her, "If you would actually **listen** da'len, you would know how to control your magic and anger." The child sat cross-legged and mute, her head hung low and eyebrows furrowed with tears rolling down her cheeks. _Guilty, felt nothing but guilt and anger at myself._ _This was the day I accidentally killed all of the clan's halla and we couldn't travel, that was a tough year for the clan. Everybody was upset with me,_ the surroundings changed and she watched how she was sitting on a low rock, crying by herself. _I had been so scared, I couldn't understand_ _anything_ _._ Spectral Ellana knelt in front of the child and moved to hug but her arms merely passed through, _this is frustrating._ She felt fear well up in her chest along with the overbearing guilt, _I'm feeling her again._ Vague thoughts of escaping so far into the forest the clan would never find her entered her mind. She knew at this point it's not like they would  really try to find her, and she remembered being scared for being all alone too. The little girl tossed a rock in the nearby pond and wiped her eyes, she looked behind her where the clan had camped and back at the forest. _Nothing but trees, I'd get lost easily. Samahl taught me a little bit about covering tracks,_ young Ena set off sprinting into the heart of the forest and spectral Lavellan chased after her, soon merging and seeing things through the little girl's eyes. _I don't remember anything after that except being petrified with fear at…_

A wolf.

Young Ena froze immediately and gulped, the wolf who had cornered a nug noticed the little girl immediately and snarled, it's teeth bared and foamy saliva dripping down. _Run!_ The young girl couldn't, she was stuck in her spot. Her eyes fell on the nug that too was too scared to move, it looked like it was a baby. "R-run," young Ena choked out, "Run away little nug!" She clenched her fists and tried to summon flames she did not have, the overwhelming fright made her little hands quiver immensely. She stared at the rabid wolf, "I-I… I won't run! I won't let you hurt that nug!" Empty words for a child trembling and must have clearly reeked of fear to the wolf. _Mamae would do anything to protect me no matter how scary,_ the young girl glared with all her might, _Mamae would do anything_ _ **no matter how scary**_ _!_ She felt warmth at her palm and looked down in astonishment, _fire!_ She felt a soothing and calming presence touch her mind, wrapping her in a warm embrace. She looked behind her, thinking it was her mother but nobody was there. The rabid wolf snarled again and turned around to the petrified nug, _Mamae doesn't have to be here physically,_ the young girl clenched her quivering fists tighter, _but I know she's watching over me. She'd want me to be strong and do the right thing, that's what she'd do._

Before the wolf went for the baby nug, young Ena charged forward with her fist set ablaze, "I said I won't let you hurt that nug!" _It's my turn to protect,_ with as much energy and strength she could muster she poured all of her into the flame and it grew bigger, brighter until it enveloped her arm. It didn't scare her anymore, she grinned with pride and delight when it had done the exact opposite. It fueled her, comforted her, gave her the power to protect, _it's not a curse,_ she slammed her fist in the ground and hoped that the fire would listen to her command, to burn not the grass, but the wolf in front of her. It flickered slightly and the grass whined, but she didn't falter, _the wolf!_ The Keeper's words echoed in her mind.

 ** _It is not about what you want to burn, da'len. But what you want to save._** ** _You_** ** _choose what to save._**

 _The forest, the nug,_ young Ena gritted her teeth and glared at the rabid wolf that made way for her, _everything but the fen!_ The flame at her palm lashed out and moments later, the wolf howled in agony as the fire shot out from underneath and chewed away it's fur and flesh. The young girl ignored the stench then ran past to lift and hug the scared baby nug, cradling it close to her chest and petting its head much how Mamae would do to her. _I did it,_ exhaustion settled into her muscles and the world had gotten blurry, she turned around and tried to retrace her steps. _The clan,_ young Ena focused on putting one foot in front of the other, _the clan can save the nug,_ the little baby squeaked and whined when her knees buckled on her. She held her hands out and let it on the ground before collapsing herself. The nug nudged her cheeks, squeaking and peering into her eyes as if worried for her. "I'm okay," she smiled warmly, "I'm glad you're okay. I'll protect you I promise," the little girl thought the nug had such pretty eyes as it stared at her. _Smoky, like Babae and me…_

But with amber specks.

* * *

"Fuck, what the fuck is she thinking going so far out?" Sera and Solas had been traveling on mount non-stop and the sun had begun to set but at least they were on the right track. It seemed that Blackwall and Ellana head straight for Lake Calenhad, and when Solas speculated that the mage was probably using water to make sure she doesn't accidentally burn everything should she explode, well… It'd be an understatement to say that the archer freaked out at that. When the smell guided them to a forest, the two wandered the borders until they found a suitable path that seemed to radiate Lavellan's scent strongest. "Fuck sake, it's like she's been everywhere in here. Gonna be hard to find her now."

"Then do not focus on her smell," Solas smirked when the archer snapped her head and glared angrily at him, "There **is** another person with her, or have you forgotten? Here, this way follow me." _Oh yeah… Blackwall…_ Sera reluctantly bit back her insult that nearly rolled off her tongue and directed her horse to follow behind the hedge mage.

"Not 'round the guy though, the hell does he smell like anyways? Probly horse shit and straw." Surely enough she smelled something that stunk a little and she wrinkled her nose. "Ugh fuck… I was just jokin', why's he actually gotta smell like horse shit... How the hell did Ena ride behind that? Pile of crap following her 'round, literally." Solas sighed and shook his head disapprovingly, the archer grinned. _Too fun to rile Baldy up._ As they got closer to Blackwall, concern and nervousness gnawed on the edges of Sera's thoughts. _Pissed her off so bad that she left without telling anybody, snuck right out. Like a friggin' kid hiding from their parents so they can go live a little._ She would have been proud if she didn't know it was because of their argument that Ellana up and left the way that she did. _What if she's still pissed off?_ She chewed on her lip, _she can't fuckin' blame me! I don't know 'bout this shit, it doesn't match what I know! What the fuck did she think I was gonna do, say ohhh that's okay, hey we made love now lets fuck all night?_ She grumbled to herself, _she always has to blow up the friggin' mood, especially when everything's goin' so damn well. Ain't she happy she had her first friggin' orgasm? Was waiting for the 'holy shit that blew my mind away' or 'that set me on fire and fire's my favorite thing' or ugh… Those both sound lame anyways… But that's Ena, she_ _is_ _lame._

Solas glanced over his shoulder when he noticed the deterioration in the archer's mood and odd grumbling but shrugged it off. It was obvious she was conflicted but he also knew that anything that came out of his mouth would either be ignored or cast off as stupid and not right-which would make the dalish elf's life a whole lot harder if she said the same things as him. There was no way around it, Sera had to come to terms with it with Ellana. When the smell got closer tension was in the air and Solas hesitantly called out, "Blackwall? It's Solas and Sera, where are you?" Silence, and then a deep gruff voice.

"How did you find us? I thought the Inquisitor wanted to be left alone."

"She did," Sera spat, "But we sniffed her right the fuck out." The two entered a clearing and saw a large pond, along with the grizzled warrior sitting near a campfire he made. "Where is she?" Both elves got off their horses and led them to Blackwall's, tying the ropes around the trees.

"She wants to be alone," Blackwall rose from his seat on the log and crossed his arms, "Needs to." Solas glanced over at the archer, this was not going to go well. _Wanna hear that from Ena's mouth not yours ye old geezer._

"Look, unless you want arrows up yer arse just tell me where Ena is." _If he don't gimme answers soon I'm gonna snap._ The two glared at each other for what seemed like hours until Blackwall sighed and conceded. _Wait a sec,_ Sera stole a quick glance over her shoulder, _fuck I'm an idiot. How did I forget to bring my bow with me?_

"It's clear you won't leave especially after coming all the way here," Blackwall gestured to the pond with his head, "She's doing… Something. Not sure what, but said she was meditating. Was on fire a couple times, good thing she's in the water after all." He scratched his beard, "Told me it was normal and she seems safe."

"She is," Solas nodded, "Regular meditation doesn't do this but what she's doing right now… Well, this is a special circumstance."

"Nice way of saying 'kiss my ass I ain't telling you'," the grizzled warrior replied. "Sun's setting soon, if you're hungry I got some rations in my pack." Sera ignored the two men and walked to the pond, _didn't he say she was here?_ Her eyes scanned the water and nitpicked every detail, she noticed the scattered clothing abandoned on the ground and glared at Blackwall.

"Oi, you better have not been staring at her naked."

The grizzled warrior rose his arms, "Not to worry, I've kept my eyes off unless there was fire." _So he hasn't been really watching her._ There was a dull orange glow beneath the water in the center and Sera panicked, she immediately dove in, _this fucking tit is gonna drown herself!_ The two men saw what she was doing and reacted swiftly, grabbing rope from the horses and running to the edge.

"Wait Sera!" Solas called out, "Get away from there immediately!" _Fuck off, she's gonna drown!_ Her legs cramped and her strokes became sloppy, _fuck why's she so friggin' far?!_ _It ain't enough to blow yerself up, you gotta drown yourself too?! This fucking idiot, always gotta save her from killing herself!_ The orange glow intensified to the point the center of the pond looked more like molten lava. Sera stopped immediately and watched with awe, her jaw hung loose. _What… The fuck?_ The water shot up and the waves rippled, before the archer could react in time she was pulled under. Her heart hammered erratically against her chest and she gargled water, choking by reflex and accidentally swallowing more. Her arms flailed around against the overpowering tide and all she could see as she sank lower in the dark depths of the water was the orange-red sky, _did Ena…_ _Set the sky on fire…?_ As she slipped into the darkness her lips curled upwards, _that's my Ena._

* * *

Sera sat up and puked, the overwhelming urge to cough and sputter as the liquid flowed out of her lungs made her insides churns. The world was spinning and the loud ringing in her ears formed a rock-splitting headache. "Ugh..." She held her head and then heaved over, lips parting as another coughing episode to expel the water took her. _What happened?_ Blearily looking up she saw Lavellan staring worriedly at her, her lips moving and a look of fear stricken across her face. "Oi," she forced a reassuring grin on her face, "Calm yer tits, I'm alright." _She's right here..._ Her lips tingled and swelled with warmth.

Looking around she noticed Blackwall and Solas also standing by with concerned looks on their faces, she shook her head and stared at the dalish mage again. The ringing and headache finally settled, Ellana hugged her tightly as she buried her nose in the damp blonde locks and murmured something in elvhen. _Isn't she pissed off at me?_ Her arms moved with minds of their own and wrapped around the elven woman's waist, _she won't leave me behind again will she?_ "Ena," she rasped out with a scratchy voice, "Don't run 'way like that, did you forget your promise?"

"Ir abelas," Lavellan whispered guiltily, "I'm sorry. I needed to, I didn't want to put you in danger and yet I did anyways..." She sighed frustratedly and hugged tighter, "Why did you follow me? Weren't you upset with me?"

"I could say the same to you," Sera gently pushed away and looked at the mage's eyes, _whoa they glow so much brighter now…_ "Look I-" her eyebrows furrowed in confusion when Ellana suddenly kissed her, _the heck? Not that I'm complaining really._

"Let's speak of it later, for now," Lavellan hooked her arms under the archer's knees and shoulders, "We need to set up camp."

"Oi yer still healing put me down! I can walk by-" her protests were silenced by the searing mouth, "Ena I-" and another, this time Sera growled and slid her hands behind the mage's neck to pull her for an even rougher kiss. When they reluctantly parted for sorely-needed oxygen they were interrupted by Blackwall's exaggerated cough, Sera waggled her eyebrows playfully and grinned. "Gotta pay to watch the show old man." She chuckled at the look of confusion on Ellana's face and patted her cheek, "Don't worry yer pretty head 'bout it luv."

"I've a few pelts," Blackwall decidedly ignored the archer's jab, "The trees should protect us if it happens to rain, but I'll need to go out to collect some wood for the fire. Solas why don't you come help me?" Sera figured out immediately what the warrior was trying to do and her muscles relaxed with relief, but she knew it wasn't going to be that easy. Solas nodded but before the two men head out the campfire rose higher and glowed brighter of it's own accord, apparently they didn't head out fast enough. _Ugh, I_ _so_ _knew this was gonna happen. Leave it to the daft tit to totally miss it._

"I don't understand," Lavellan gently lowered Sera down near the fire, "We don't need wood, I can sustain something like this easily enough." _There's only one way she'll get this._

"Luv get a clue will ya? They clearly want privacy," she grinned as she looked over at Solas, "Baldy and Blackwall are off to suck face in the woods." The grizzled warrior bellowed out and dragged the protesting apostate away, Sera couldn't help but burst into laughter at the look on Ellana's face. _She's so fuckin' confused it's cute. Baldy'll bitch later but whatever, if I said we want privacy she'd probly say she didn't mind them or somethin'._ She sneezed and scooted closer to the large fire, rubbing her arms for warmth. Her lips spread into a content smile and she hummed when she felt familiar heat seep into her muscles, there was light sizzling behind her as her clothes steamed dry.

"I'm better than a fire," Ellana whispered proudly and rested her chin on the archer's shoulder, she spread her legs out in a V and pulled Sera closer to her. "Remember? Just because I was upset doesn't mean I'll stop caring. I'll always warm you up." The two sat in silence as the fire crackled before them, the sun had set completely and darkness blanketed their surroundings save for the fire that illuminated them. _Dunno what to say… How the hell do we even talk 'bout this fucked up shit? Hate crap like this._ "Sera..." By sound of the mage's tone she didn't really know either.

"How 'bout," the archer twisted her neck and glanced at the face resting on her shoulder, "We just relax for now. Figure out this shit later when we go back. You ran away so you could breathe easier and sort out yer head yeah?" A slight nod, Lavellan averted her gaze and mumbled guiltily.

"I still have a hard time believing it myself Sera… I just-" she sighed, "I knew something like that was going to upset you. It was hard for me to swallow, I shouldn't have expected you to just… Accept it just like that." _So much for figuring it out when we go back._ The archer remained silent as Ellana rambled, _needs to get it off her chest._ "And something tells me I chose a really bad time to tell you too."

"Hah," Sera snorted in laughter, "Yeah that's a fuckin' understatement. But yer Ena, and that's what Ena does," she teased affectionately. "Next time, just sex. Normal sex. Without talking or freaky shit, yeah? Just once."

"Sex?"

"What we did before ya dropped the spirit thing on me," the archer rotated her torso to reach and give a brief peck on the lips, "Sex, fuck, makin' love, doin' the deed," her voice wavered and cracked with mirth, _she's so lost,_ "Gettin' down and dirty, givin' it to me.. _._ " _Too fun to mess with her._ "When you eat me Ena," she smirked seductively when realization immediately dawned on the mage's face and the amber specks flared at that. _I'll let the food thing slide if that's what it takes for her to get what I mean._

"There's that many ways to say..." She tested the foreign word and her tongue hissed like a snake, "Sex?" Sera chuckled huskily, _this is way too good._ She nodded and planted her palms in the dirt then eased out of the embrace. Spinning on her knees she gently pushes the mage down on the ground by her shoulders and clambers higher, purposefully nestling her knee against Ellana's core. "Sera?" The way the fire flickered and danced on the elven woman's face had been absolutely mesmerizing, the curious look swirling with desire made Sera's heart swell with warmth. _Hot and cute, sexy and pretty… Ain't enough, need a better word._ She lowered and dragged her tongue from the middle of the mage's breasts to the collarbone, _scars ain't got that glow anymore._ She gave a slight nudge with her knee and gently nibbled on the mark she unintentionally left on Lavellan, reveling in the way the elven woman gasped and arched into her knee. _Guess her stripping habit ain't_ _so_ _bad, saves me time from ripping her clothes off._ She growled when she smelled the two men nearing and rose her head to shout at them.

"Better not think of coming back right now or I'll stripe you up arseholes!" It was more than enough that the mage would flaunt her naked body like no big deal, _over my dead body will anybody ever see her like_ _this_ _though. She's_ _ **mine**_ _._ Before Ellana protested the archer dipped down and claimed her lips possessively, she thrust her tongue inside and groaned at the taste, _she drives me nuts easier now._ _How the fuck is that even possible?_ The molten hot mouth made her lightheaded and dizzy almost instantly, and the thick haze of desire enveloped her mind. The moment she felt warm hands smooth along her waist and slide under her shirt she willingly dove into the inferno threatening to engulf her entire being. She spoke between kisses as her own hands worked frantically, smoothing along to cover every inch of skin regardless if it was marked or not, "Off," she breathed, "Take my shirt off." At that she immediately sat back and her hands darted under to grasp Ellana's wrists, " **Not** burn. I ain't goin' back topless or frolicking naked like you do."

"Why not?" _Is she seriously aski-wait…_ Lavellan grinned mischievously, _is she…_

"Okay I gotta know. Was that a joke?"

"Depends," the mage rolled up the ends of her shirt, "It's either a joke or it's about to come true," Ellana leaned up a little and planted a soft kiss along the ridge of the archer's collarbone, her lips spreading into an even larger grin against the creamy skin.

"Ah- _ha,_ " Sera's fingers wove through the firebrand hair and her head lulled back to expose her neck, sighing in content when the scorching lips left a trail of fire in its wake with each kiss. Her shirt was rolled up tantalizingly slow and she smirked, "Trying to do the same thing to me now, are you?"

"Is it working?" The hoarse timbre was back again and the city elf's nerves thrummed pleasantly, she could feel the heat pool at the pits of her stomach. When she looked down and saw the toned stomach flexing and rippling to keep Lavellan in the half-crunch position she grinned, _don't she know she drives me crazy even without this shit?_

"Dunno luv, hard to tell."

"That so?" Ellana hummed and sat up higher, forcing the archer to straddle her thigh while she gently nipped Sera's neck. "I can smell it and I," her hands smoothed underneath Sera's hamstrings and in one swift motion she lifted her as she stood. _Wait-_ " **Love** it." _Me too but-_ a low moan slipped past her lips when the mage nudged her jaw away and softly kissed the thundering pulse point at her throat.

"Your arm," the archer stated breathlessly while Ellana walked past the campfire and into the depths of the forest, _where is she taking us?_ "Put me down Ena, yer arm-"

"It's not a problem," the mage tilted her head and shouted behind her, "You can come back to camp! Sera and I are going to go a bit farther!"

"What the hell for? They can sleep in the bushes," Sera grumbled, "Leaves ain't my thing, Ena." She groaned when her back slammed against something rough and felt hungry lips suck on her neck, _fuck…_ Her ache intensified immediately and the wildfire before her threatened her sanity. The mage lightly sucked on her bottom lip, and Sera had a hard time seeing anything even in the darkness. _How the hell can she see? It's pitch fuckin' black over here._ All she could see were the amber specks that glowed brightly and the husky chuckles that hit her shoulder made her shudder.

"What about trees?"

"Smart _ah_ ss, look at you crackin' tons o' jokes all of a sudden." She hooked her legs around the elven woman's waist and slid her arms around the neck to ease the burden of carrying her. The fire in the eyes before her glimmered as they watched her intently, _what's she staring for?_ "Ena? The heck you doing, weirdo?" She expected the mage to lose it by now, to see, smell and feel nothing but feral desire and the desperate need to taste, but the fire was… Tame, calm. Soothing and warm. _Does that mean… Whatever Baldy said she had to do, she's not gonna lose it anymore? Shame, pretty fuckin' hot when she goes wild._

"Sera," the softness in Ellana's tone surprised even her, she sighed and tenderly slid her mouth over the archer's. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Huh? For what?"

"For coming here, finding me. Even with how we left things at Skyhold, how I ran away, you still..." _Almost sounds like she doesn't believe it._ "I don't understand. You were scared of me, yet here you are before me. Thank you," in between each word she planted a kiss along Sera's jaw bone and worked towards the first mark she left, "Thank you." _Still don't get why she's thanking me. Only doing what she'd do for me._ Ellana slid her tongue along the mark and gently grazed her sharp canines to prepare, "Thank you," _here we go._ Sera braced herself as she felt the warm hands slide under her shirt, one ghosted over and lovingly knead her breast while the other slid along the small of her back. Her lips parted and she choked out a moan when she felt the teeth sink in, oddly enough it didn't hurt this time. She couldn't think, the overwhelming white-hot pleasure blinded her and she literally felt like there was fire coursing through her body. The raw spicy scent filtered in her nose and the sensations from the hands felt like ice, fire and electricity all at once as if her mind couldn't figure out what the hell to make of this just like the very first time Lavellan made love to her.

 _Love,_ the word echoed at the back of her mind, _this is what it's like to make love,_ she inwardly chuckled, it felt silly and abnormal to her but it also felt right, _now I'm a sappy weirdo like her_. A growl rumbled through her and soon the hands moved frantically and uncoordinated, she came down from her high when the teeth retracted and the darkness blanketed her vision again. _Fuck this feels fuckin' good and she hasn't even touched me there yet, always drives me crazy once she goes wild._ She grinned and framed Ellana's face, roughly sucking on her bottom lip and eliciting another feral growl from the woman, _good thing we do this all the damn time so I kinda know where to go_. The mouth forcefully clamped over hers and kissed her with fervor and passion, the scorching tongue swept along the roof of her mouth and tickled slightly. _Gonna fucking lose it soon,_ she subconsciously squeezed tighter with her legs and groaned when sparks shot through her spine, _that fucking sensitive already?_ "Thank you, ara sal'shiral," _she's_ _still_ _going on about that, and goin' elfy? She needs to shut up so we can fuck already,_ an idea struck her and she inwardly cackled with mischief, _this'll get her going._

"Ena," Sera smirked seductively as she whispered against the mage's lips, " **It's not a problem**."


	26. Awkward

**Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!**

 **AN** **:** In case if the email alerts didn't send properly, there's a chapter before this one "Memories" so catch up on that before you read this one! Get ready for a party next chapter :) Some lighthearted fun to cheer us up after all the angst, but how will our two elves do by burying the 'dark' with the 'light'?

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _On dhea'lam:_ Good evening

 _Th'ea:_ How are you?

 _Son'ala:_ Fantastic!

 _Era'elgar:_ Vessel of a spirit (aka like Wynne and Anders)

 _Ma nuvenin:_ As you wish

* * *

 **Awkward**

* * *

Never before had Sera felt such compelling and captivating lust… For blood. She was just oh so close for Ellana to dip her hand in her leggings and travel to the true Golden City, but for some _fucking_ reason of which the archer did not _fucking_ know…

A nug had a grudge on her.

Never before had she wanted to scream as badly as she did now, and we already know all the times the poor archer has felt this way before. The tiny little squeaks immediately enraptured Lavellan who-in her childish glee-literally dropped the archer on her ass. "SERA!" Excitement was an understatement to describe the mage at the moment, "SERA IT'S A NUG!"

"You've never seen a nug before…?" The city elf asked flatly and stared in the darkness of where she thought the two weird beasts were as she rubbed her sore bum. _I really hope she can fucking see my eyes right now, but I doubt she'd get it anyways._ "They're all over the bloody place."

"Can we keep this one?"

" **Wh-NO**!" _I am_ _not_ _getting pussy-blocked by a fucking nug again!_

"But it's so friendly! It's not running away, it likes me! Please? I'll take care of it I swear and-" as the elven woman blurted out multiple promises Sera sighed. _She's like a fucking kid begging for a mutt. It's a fucking_ _nug_ _! I eat the damn things for cryin' out loud! There is seriously somethin' wrong here if she drools when looking at real pets but wants to keep actual food as one._ She groaned in frustration and scratched the side of her head furiously, messing up her hair. _I just_ _know_ _I'm going to regret this._

" **Fine**." The corner of her lips curled into a reluctant half-smirk as Ellana's joyful laughter echoed in the forest, she could hear the woman bouncing around with the stupid _food_ in her arms. _I'll never understand you, just a couple days ago you were-_ she shuddered when the haunting memory of the hooks flashed within her mind and grimaced. _Here you are… Happy again, like nothing bad ever happened. And I know you ain't pretending like you usually do._

"Come, come!" _Yeah, somethin' I_ _should_ _be doing,_ "Let's go show Solas and Blackwall!"

"Alright but gimme a light, can't see in the pitch black." When the small fire in the palm illuminated the area, Sera face palmed and groaned. _Is this daft tit… Fuck sake does she seriously have flames for brains?_ Her eyes immediately fell on the baby nug cradled in the other hand and she didn't know who she wanted to smack first, the food or the idiot. _Remind me why I love you again?_

The nug's cheek was puffed up with Lavellan's finger in it's mouth… And it looked pissed.

 _Right._ _So_ _fucking friendly. I'd hate to see what she thinks unfriendly is. Can't this half wit see it's tryin' to chomp her fuckin' hand off?_ "What do you think I should name him, Sera?" _She's serious. She's fucking serious right now. This_ _has_ _to be a nightmare,_ the archer sighed and shrugged. "Ooh what do you think about Nibbles? He sure likes to give love bites, what a lovable little guy yes you are~" _Nibbles? More like fucking Chewy._

"Luv, you know it's pissed off at you right? It's attacking you."

"No no it's fine! The halla used to do this too, they nibble on your hand as a sign of affection and trust!" Sera's eyes fell back on the nug currently trying to chew through the mage's thumb and squeaked with pride when it's tiny little teeth successfully pricked the thumb, _no. I'm pretty sure that it's fucking pissed. It's just too damn small to actually do any damage._ She frowned at the little _food_ with unrestrained anger, _you're the little prick that got in the way of a good fuck. Soon as you step away from Ena, yer getting an arrow up the arse._ The nug seemingly sensed this and glared back without fear, _oh hoh, you wanna go at it do you? Bring it,_ _bitch_ _._ The clever _food_ decided to take advantage of its current situation and goad Sera.

It squeaked happily and rolled on it's back in the mage's palm.

Ellana melted instantly and brought the nug to her face to pepper it's belly with kisses, _YOU FUCKING WHORE! I'M GONNA SKEWER YOUR ARSE AND EAT YOU ALIVE!_ The nug kicked out it's feet and looked at Sera, it squeaked in sadistic glee and the archer could have sworn it was actually smiling. "Pfffft," came the tiny little fart from it's tiny little bum, and it's cuteness delighted the mage even more. _That's_ _it_ _._ Sera spun on her heel and used her sense of smell to guide her back to camp. _Just follow the pile of shit,_ she grimaced, _I'm tossing Blackwall's ass in the pond._

"Sera, wait up!" Ellana lifted the hand that was set ablaze higher and jogged to catch up, her head tilting in confusion when the archer seemingly sought out twigs to stomp on. _Listen real close Food, that's gonna be the sound of yer bones soon._ When they got back to camp, the archer stayed true to her word and glared at Blackwall without restraint while pointing at what was left of the pond. Most of the water was-for some reason-gone, _oh yeah, should ask Ena what happened later when we get back to Skyhold._ The grizzled warrior stared at her then followed to where she was pointing, both men were completely confused as to what was going on until Ellana showed up bouncing with glee as she shoved the baby nug in their faces. "Look!" The men exchanged glances and shrugged, Blackwall unsheathed his sword and Solas reached behind him to find a long thin stick. Immediately Lavellan cradled the nug to her chest with one arm and deftly flipped backwards, her palm digging into the dirt and gracefully landing on her feet. "What are you doing?!" _Isn't it obvious? They think it's Food too._ Sera couldn't help but smirk evilly when the nug made eye contact with her, it was clearly afraid now.

"Uh," Blackwall sheathed his sword, "I thought you had caught it for me to prepare so we can eat it?"

"WHAT?! It's not food!" Ellana protectively hugged the nug to her chest, both their eyes similarly widened as if the warrior had said the most barbaric thing ever. Sera folded her arms and glared once again, the nug was conveniently settled and protected in between the unrestrained mounds. _Those tits are_ _mine_ _, Food, my face should be there not yours._ While the mage protested and berated the two men for being heartless and inhumane, Sera walked towards the pond and gathered the abandoned clothes. She chuckled inwardly when Ellana was upset for the men not having the courage to look at her, _coz yer naked ya daft twat, ugh I don't have energy to tell her anymore._ She strode to the edge and knelt, the water level significantly descended, _remember water shooting up and then big waves, did she blow up underwater or somethin'? Weird. Ah well anyways,_ she stood and went back to the mage who sat on the ground with her back facing the guilty-looking men, a pout etched on her features as she whispered comforting words to the nug and pet its head.

 _I'll never get you, weirdo._ "Sera and I will take good care of you Nibbles," _hell no I'm not. Food better stay the fuck away from me if it knows what's good for it._ Her heart constricted and her lips curled into a subtle smile at the scene nonetheless, "We will protect you, we promise." Sera couldn't find it in her to correct the mage and sighed as she knelt down, reluctantly patting the nug's head once then retracting her hand to avoid being bit.

 ** _We…_**

* * *

Morning light filtered in the few holes the trees had left and one of those holes just happened to direct the light to shine as brightly as possible in Sera's face. She grumbled and swatted at it thinking it was Ellana for some reason, and accidentally slapped herself in the process. _No seriously, who the fuck did I piss off?_ Low gruff chuckles alerted her to the presence behind her and she smirked, "Fuck you too Blackwall," she took a tentative whiff in the air, "Finally took a bath eh? Good, didn't wanna ride with a pile of horse shit following me." She opened her eyes and slowly sat up, scratching her head and blinking blearily as she took in the scene.

"So that's why you were pointing at the pond last night," the warrior replied with amusement in his voice, "I thought you were asking me to drown you because a nug's bested you."

"Stuff it geezer," Sera stuck out her tongue when Blackwall chuckled again and her eyes fell on Lavellan. _That'd be really fuckin' cute if Food wasn't such a greedy prick._ The mage was leaning against a rock that only supported half her back, her head lulled back and rested on the top of the rock as her lips parted to snore. Her legs spread out in a V, one arm was draped over her stomach and the other rested on the nug's belly. The archer stood and walked over, relief washing over her as she took in each detail. Light drool trickled down the corner and one of the sharp canines was easily visible with the lopsided grin. _She's finally sleepin' like how she usually does._ She knelt down and balanced on the ball of her feet, her arms folded and rested on her knees. _Ena's still Ena even with that weird… Spirit… Thing._

 ** _It's not as if this spirit has just merged with me_** ** _now_** ** _. It's always been with me, it's part of me, it_** ** _is_** ** _me._**

"Didn't peg you for the type that likes to watch people sleep Sera," Blackwall smirked, "Or the type to make that type of face."

"Shut up before my face'll be the last thing ya see," the archer mirrored his smirk, "She started it. Pervert's always been honest 'bout being a pervert."

"Honesty's the best policy," the warrior muttered, "At least someone is honest." _Huh? He sounded a little… Dunno, there. Oh well._ Sera shrugged and smoothed the firebrand hair away from Lavellan's face, _she's gonna have a real stiff neck._ "I was just wondering about something," Blackwall glanced over, "What is with the stripping habit?"

"Dunno, if I remember right she said she was the only one and couple kids in her clan or whatevers that do it. Must've had some weird 'rents, maybe they all frolicked naked in the woods." Sera glared at the baby nug passed out on it's back, Nibbles was happily snoring away as it's head lulled back to rest on Ellana's pubic area. _That's where_ _my_ _face should be, Food._ "Least she finally dressed up before she fell asleep. Was ready to pluck yer eyes in case if ya stole looks, good thing yer all knightly and shit. Saved yer arse it did."

Blackwall chuckled, "Good to know. In any case we should wake the Inquisitor and Solas up, we should be heading back to Skyhold before they send the army to search for her. That's added stress she doesn't need."

"Good point," Sera leaned in and decided to give Lavellan a light shake of the shoulders, despite how futile it is. As expected the mage merely snored and her head rolled the other way, _you know it's a good thing I at least know how to actually wake you up._ She lowered to kiss, high-pitch squeaks alerted her and her head snapped to the baby nug that launched itself at her face and scratched her. "OW! MOTHER FUCKER! I'M GONNA KILL YOU, FOOD!" She chased Nibbles around as Blackwall roared with laughter, the booming sound startled Solas awake who simply sighed and shook his head at the scene. "GET BACK HERE IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU!" She cornered the nug and grinned sadistically at it, "Nowhere left to go, Food. Just you and me..." Before she dove, warm arms wrapped around her and a chin rested casually on her shoulder, _shit!_ The nug squeaked with delight and took advantage of the opportunity, running between their legs and rubbing the mage's ankle in appreciation.

"Morning," Lavellan slurred sleepily, "Nibbles an'you playing? I wanna play too~"

"We ain't playin'! This fucker scratched my face!"

"Really?" Ellana unwrapped her arms and took Nibbles in her hands, stretching out her arms and holding him out above her head. She spoke sternly, "Why'd you hurt Sera, Nibbles?"

"What the fuck?! Nugs can't ta-" the nug squeaked and Sera gaped in shock when the mage nodded as she listened to the series of squeaks and snorts. Blackwall's gruff laughter shook the trees and Solas chuckled quietly.

"Hm. Mm-hm… I see." _She… Is she serious? Can she actually understand Food?_ "Well that's not nice of her," Ellana looked disapprovingly at the archer, _what the fuck?! Is this nug trash talking and blaming_ _me_ _?!_ "Nibbles said you tried to bite my nose."

" **WHAT**?!" The two men roared with laughter and Sera scowled at them with clear murderous intent, they immediately clamped their lips shut but the mirth in their eyes was a dead giveaway. "I was gonna wake you up! And how in the fucking world can you even understand that thing?!"

"Nibbles is not a thing! He's a brave nug that protected me from you biting my nose!"

"Oh for the love of-I wasn't tryna bite," the archer scratched her head furiously and groaned, _how can I get it through this daft tit's head?_ Her eyes fell on the treacherous nug that happily snuggled closer to the mage's bosom, _can't believe she can understand this arsehole. Friggin' animals, the both of them._

 ** _The halla used to do this too, they nibble on your hand as a sign of affection and trust!_**

 _Huh. That might work,_ Sera sighed, "Love bite." She noted the confusion and mumbled quietly, "I wanted to wake you up with a kiss ye daft tit," she glared at Nibbles, "Before this friggin' nug tried to maul my face off anyways." _Am I seriously gonna be fighting with a fucking nug for kisses? This is so stupid._

"Oh," Ellana's face lit up with a radiant smile and strode over then tilted her head, she leaned in to kiss tenderly. Sera folded her arms and made no move to reciprocate, she frowned at the mage who simply grinned against her lips and waited for her to kiss back. _Two can play this game. No way am I gonna kiss back, you believed fuckin' Food over me!_ Blackwall drew their attention with an exaggerated cough and fought not to smirk.

"I mean no offense by this Inquisitor but we may very well be here all day. We should begin our journey back to Skyhold sometime soon."

"About that," Lavellan parted and suddenly looked serious, "There's one more thing I need to do before we head back. Since we're already halfway there, I would like to go to Crestwood."

"What?!" Sera seethed, "No way, are you fucking insane? It's only been-"

"I have to Sera."

"THE HELL YOU DO! There's no fuckin' way you're going there! What the fuck do you even wanna go back for?!"

"I made a promise that I have to keep and-"

"With all due respect Lethallan," Solas shook his head, "You can't anyways. Bull and his Chargers have already taken care of the fortress." _Well that didn't take long, fuckin' good. I owe Bull a barrel when he comes back._ Sera watched as the mage slumped dejectedly, _can't she see it's for her own damn good?_

"Look luv, no point moping 'bout somethin' outta yer hands yeah? Let's go back to Skyhold and," _I'm so gonna regret this,_ "Make a good home for the nug." At that Ellana switched and nodded eagerly, she gave Nibbles a quick peck on the forehead and he squeaked in appreciation, staring at Sera as if taunting her. _Dunno if nugs can smile, but that looks like a pretty fuckin' smug smirk right there. Arsehole. I'm lettin' you off the hook this time only so this daft twat don't go blow herself up again._ She bit back a sigh as the mage jogged over to the horse and urged her to hurry up, _that thing's gonna maul my fuckin' back for the whole ride. This sucks._ She grabbed the saddle horn and hoisted herself up on the horse then helped Ellana settle in behind her. She was incredibly confused to suddenly see Food nestled in front of her stomach and glanced over her shoulder, "Uh, Ena?"

"In case if I fall asleep from the motion," Lavellan smiled guiltily, "I don't want to squish him." _Well this is just fucking perfect._ Sera and the nug glared heatedly at each other, Nibbles was clearly unhappy with the situation as well. She wrinkled her nose in disgust when she smelled something foul and groaned, _he fucking farted? Seriously?_ The nug squeaked as if proud of it's accomplishment and the archer sighed. _He's gonna chew my fingers off and kill my nose with farts._ A chin rested on her shoulder and she looked over, her heart swelling at the way the elven woman's eyes danced with sincere joy. "Thank you, Sera. I love you." _I guess it's not_ _so_ _bad if it makes her happy…_ The city elf rotated her torso and responded to Ellana with a kiss. _Love you too, weirdo._

* * *

Apparently leaving without telling anybody-even if it was just for a day-seemed to be a sin of some sort. Lavellan stood at the war-table and averted her gaze downwards, even Josephine was visibly upset. Cullen had been the only one that came to her rescue, "It's good that you made it back safely, Inquisitor." She nodded in agreement and mustered the courage to peek upwards, immediately shifting her gaze back down when the other two women waited for her explanation.

"I needed-" Ellana sighed frustratedly and raked her hand through her hair, "To sort some things out by myself. I didn't want to worry anybody." _Why do I have to explain myself anyways?_

"And yet you did anyways," Leliana chided softly, "Next time please just inform us. We are not as unreasonable as you think."

"Do I have to report everything that I want to do or that's going on in my life?" Lavellan crossed her arms and frowned, "I'm not a child, I can handle myself just fine."

"I don't expect you to report everything, and everybody knows you're more than capable of handling yourself. However considering what had happened, we were concerned if..." The Spymaster trailed off and shook her head, "Never mind. Cullen is right, it's good that you made it back safely. Please just trust us next time, Inquisitor." _I would trust…!_ The mage sighed and nodded, _who am I trying to fool? I clearly didn't trust them if I ran away._

"Is that everything, then?" Ellana tried to squash the feelings of guilt and anger in herself, _that'll do nobody any good. From now on I won't hold back, I'll give all of me once again._ The council was dismissed after reviewing and discussing a couple of reports, but before the mage could head back to her quarters Josephine asked to see her for a quick moment. The antivan woman wore dark circles around her eyes and concern was clearly etched in her features, _this was my fault for worrying them so much._ "Josephine, you really need to get some sleep. I can take over your duties if-"

"That will not be necessary Lady Lavellan," the Ambassador smiled politely, "I appreciate the offer but it must be me, and you're no doubt exhausted yourself."

"But you need to rest, you have dark circles around your eyes. If you don't take a nap right now I will set your desk on fire." She grinned when the antivan woman's eyes widened, bluffing was so much easier when people didn't doubt she actually would do them. It was all thanks to Sera for teaching her the fundamentals and the archer ensured her nobody would suspect otherwise, yet didn't clearly explain why that was the case. "Before that though, you wanted to talk about something?"

"Ah yes, Satinalia is coming up next week and I was wondering if you had wanted to do anything for it. I can arrange everything you'd like to do if you had ideas of your own."

"What's Satinalia?"

"To put it simply, it's a large celebration. There are large feasts, giving gifts, wearing masks and well… A wild party," Josephine smiled when the mage's eyes lit up at the word 'feasts', it seemed she had already been sold on the idea.

"Let's do it! Without the masks though," Ellana shuddered, "I don't want to be reminded of the Game. What sort of gifts and activities happen?"

"Well, Leliana thought of doing an archery contest as one of the events, I've written to a couple of contacts to secure food. We had thought you would like to be in charge of the events and to celebrate things your way. Gifts are not a necessary part, it's more of a personal thing you do among friends if you so wish."

"Hmm..." Lavellan closed her eyes and hummed thoughtfully, "Celebrate my way..." _Lots of food. And music, there's got to be music. Oooh and fire, a huge fire! I can do that._

"Of course I don't need an answer right now, but it's something to think about. Do I have your permission to go ahead and hire people for the feast?"

"Yeah!" The mage grinned and slammed her fist in her palm, "I'm fired up! This is a great idea Josephine, it'll be a great way for our soldiers to relax and take a breather too. Let's make this the best party anyone's ever had!" She bowed quickly and spun on her heel to race to her chambers, she couldn't wait to tell the news to Sera. _Archery contest, there can be a competition in the sparring ring too, hand-to-hand combat,_ her heart raced with anticipation and adrenaline coursed through her veins, _then the soldiers will have no choice but to fight me!_ At that she slowed down and deflated in an instant, her head hung low, _they won't enter the competition if they know I'm in it… Being the Inquisitor sucks._ Peculiar crashes and shouting echoed further up the stairs, _why is Sera yelling?_ She could hear Nibbles squeak and run around and she grinned, _they're playing again! I want to play too!_

Slowing down to ensure she wouldn't tear her door off like she normally did, Ellana inhaled deeply to try and calm herself down but as soon as she entered her chambers her excitement hit her at full force once again. She watched in astonishment when Sera had been balancing on the balcony railing above her bed as if it were the easiest thing to do in the world as she chased after Nibbles. "Are you two playing tag?" She rushed forward when she startled the archer, "Look out!" She dove and luckily caught Sera in mid-air, both of them flew and fell on the bed. Propping up on her elbows the mage's eyes dart up and down to inspect if Sera sustained any injuries, her body melting in relief when she found none.

"When the hell did you get here?" The archer's chest heaved up and down, "Where the fuck is that nug?" Lavellan shrugged and scanned her room that now looked like a tornado rolled through, her drawer was open and her spare clothes littered the floor. Objects she didn't even knew she had were among the clutter, and worry began to fill her when she couldn't find Nibbles. She smelled fear in the air, _is he scared because he's not used to this new environment?_ She looked at the rogue beneath her, _Sera's been trying to protect him._

"Just got here," she pushed off and followed the scent of fear and peered under her desk, stretching out her arms and smiling warmly, "Hey, it's alright I'm here now. Come here Nibbles," the nug eagerly jumped in her embrace and immediately started chewing on her fingers as she snuggled him close to her chest then turned around to face Sera. "Found him, he's safe now you don't have to worry anymore."

"Wasn't worried one bit," the archer spat and Lavellan grinned, _she always covers up her real feelings._

"I've got good news by the way. Josephine explained to me what Satinalia was and next week we're going to hold a celebration." _Why does she look worried now?_ "She said I was in charge of the events, Leliana thought of an archery contest and so far I know I want music, a huge fire, and a competition for hand-to-hand combat where anyone can participate."

"Course ya do," Sera smirked and sat up on the bed, "You know soon as word gets 'round that you wanna fight nobody'll wanna join, right? You'd probly fight Bull and that's it."

"I know," Ellana pouted, "I figured I would just sit and watch..." The archer bellowed out and the rich laughter bounced off the walls in the chamber, _I don't remember making a joke, what's so funny?_

" _Tch_ yeah you sitting and watching. That'd be the end of the world, you'd get excited and jump inside the ring demanding both people fight you at once or somethin'." _Both people…_ Lavellan's head shot up and her eyes lit up, _that's it!_

"Sera, you're a genius!"

"I am? I mean I know I am but what-"

"People can pick a partner to fight alongside!" Lavellan grinned, "It'll be a battle of both skill and teamwork." She lowered the nug on the ground, "Come on Nibbles! Let's go introduce you to everybody and tell Josephine about our plans. Wanna come with us Sera?" The archer sighed and scooted off the bed, _she's not in high spirits today, we haven't spoken about what had happened either._ Ellana walked over and slid her hands along Sera's neck to pull her for a tender kiss then rested their foreheads together as she smiled affectionately, "I'll settle things quickly, and when we come back how about I give you a massage while we talk things through?"

"Do we have to talk about that?" The nervousness was evident, _she can't just ignore it, and I'll have to do everything I can to make her comfortable and help her accept it. I need her to,_ the mage's stomach churned unpleasantly, _what if she never will?_

"We do," Lavellan whispered softly, "I want to show you it's not as scary as we both thought. I want to prove to you that I'm still-" she grinned childishly, "Your idiot." The rogue's lips curled into a small smirk and she nodded, _so far so good._ "Come on then," she reached down and instinctively intertwined her fingers through Sera's and tugged her along, her eyes falling on her drum before she left her quarters. _Now I know_ _exactly_ _what sort of party I'll throw,_ her eyes shone radiantly with excitement. _I'll make Satinalia night an unforgettable one for everybody._

* * *

Half of the day was spent talking to various people for their opinion on how to make Ellana's ideas come true, and the mage had been disheartened to know it wasn't going to be as simple as she wanted it to. At least she had all the help and support she could ever want, and she placed a requisition with Josephine to see if she would be able to find craftsmen to create new drums with fire-resistant skin. It would be a tight call and it might not arrive on time, but the mage remained hopeful she could set her surprise in motion. _Won't even tell Sera what I'm planning for that,_ she smirked when the Ambassador inquired about the fire-resistant skin to which the archer joked it was so she wouldn't end up burning the drums. _Closer than she thinks, she knows me quite well._

Next was going to the bard in the tavern and asking her for help to find as many people among the troops that would want to be a part of a 'show'. "Have them meet up here bright and early at 6 tomorrow morning," Ellana grinned, "And they have to be able to keep a secret even from their best friends." At this both the archer and Nibbles-who was surprisingly tame in Sera's hold-looked at the mage skeptically. "Nope," Lavellan noted the curious looks, "Don't bother asking, this is a secret I'm taking to my grave."

"You know people can just stalk and hide right? Red'll know everything too."

"I've got a good idea on how to prevent that, so unless people are willing to get burned just to find out I'll be safe."

"What?!" Sera and Nibbles both shared a wide-eyed look, "Are you fucking serious? You'll roast yer own people just to-"

"I won't, it'll be their own fault if they try to follow," Ellana grinned, "Come on, let's go ask Josephine for some paper and start posting up the news about the competition."

"I ain't some errand girl Ena," the archer grumbled, "Can't you let someone else do this?" She sighed dejectedly and looked at the unhappy nug in her arms, "Even the nug's bored."

"Nope! My party, my duty." Lavellan skipped up the steps and spun on her heel when she reached the top, clasping her hands behind her and leaning on one leg, "You're bored now, but wait till next week!"

"We'll die of boredom before next week even comes," Sera mumbled as she followed the mage hop down the hall, the woman just couldn't sit still even if her life depended on it. Josephine gave her the papers along with a spare inkpot and quill, and even then Ellana had been walking around the room as she thought out loud.

"What do you think we should call it? Grand melee? Hand-to-hand competition with partners?"

"How about Tag-Team Tournament, Lady Lavellan?" The Ambassador smiled at the mage's contagious excitement when she had bounced around.

"Perfect!" Lavellan placed the inkpot on the shelf then dipped the quill in, holding the paper to the wall.

"Er... You don't want a table, Inquisitor?"

"Nah this is fine!" Ellana looked over at the bored-looking archer and Nibbles sitting on one of the comfortable chairs, "What else should I write?"

"Need rules of some sort," Sera rested her chin on her palm and absent-mindlessly stroked the nug's head as she shrugged, "Otherwise people are gonna bring in weapons or explode the place. Plus, since there's no way in hell people'll sign up knowing yer gonna fight so you'll need to bribe 'em to join."

"Oh right, and I want as many people to participate too. Mages are allowed to use magic and-"

" **WHAT**?! Hell no!"

"Why not?" _I don't see a problem with it._

"Because if we won't get zapped than you'll blow up Skyhold ye daft tit!"

"Oh… How about non-destructive magic? You know to support their partners," despite the protests Ellana wrote that down anyways, "Humm what else. Anything goes… I don't know what else to write down."

"How 'bout not fucking kill each other? That's bloody important too," Sera grumbled, "Just for the record, I ain't your partner. Fuck that I'm not joining at all."

"Why not? Oh right I should write down anybody and everybody is allowed to join too..." Lavellan glanced over her shoulder to the antivan woman who wore a serene smile as she worked on her reports, "What do you think Josephine? What else could we do?"

"If physical harm is an issue, I suggest perhaps making it a capture the flag style. Except instead of a flag, the participants can tie a piece of cloth to the belt," _huh?_ "The goal is to capture your opponent's cloth while keeping your own."

"Where's the fun in that?"

"It'd be a matter of evading and taking necessary risks," Josephine smiled when the mage's eyes lit up, "Harmless as well. You may wish to add that mages are not allowed to use magic to simply grab the cloth however, but anything else that may help in the endeavor."

" _Tch_ yeah knowin' Ena it still won't be harmless," the archer grumbled, "Better that then being beaten to a bloody pulp though."

"Sounds like fun, and something different to try. If physical harm is a big factor than this will solve that issue and more people are likely to join right?" Ellana grinned when the Ambassador nodded, "Alright! All that's left is a prize then." She hummed thoughtfully, _food?_

"I propose keeping it simple, gold. I can see about raising some for-"

"That won't be necessary, I have plenty saved up that I never use." The mage jotted down the prize at the end of the parchment and gave it a once over, grinning with pride. "All set!"

"You daft? Don't put yer own gold down. Besides what the hell are you gonna win then?"

Ellana shrugged, "I just want to fight, that's my prize." She gently blew on the paper to help dry the ink and then reached for another, copying the same information on multiple parchments.

"Course it is," Sera scoffed, "Anyways, how much you offering?"

"200 sovereign, 100 for each partner," the mage replied nonchalantly and was unaware of the jaw drops from both women. After she finished writing the last one she stacked the papers and spun around, "I'll meet you at my chambers Sera, lemme go post these up real quick. See you soon!" She missed the wide-eyed incredulous looks and raced out, energetically shouting out the news as she posted the papers and grinned when people actually came over to take a look. _All I'm going to do is train non-stop, maybe I'll ask Sera to teach me a little about archery too so I can join that contest. Oh wait before I forget,_ after she pinned the last parchment in the tavern she head to Solas, _I've a bunch of stuff to ask him._ Rapping her knuckles along the wall she looked around, _where is he?_

"On dhea'lam Lethallan. Th'ea?" Her head snapped up to the apostate on the scaffolding and she grinned, apart from the meditation she had begged Solas to teach her more elvhen, the man was like a fountain of knowledge. _When I go back to the clan Keeper will be proud of me in what I've learned._

"Son'ala! I've more words for you," Ellana knew the archer may be annoyed but if she got lucky maybe she'd impress Sera. She waited until the apostate climbed down the ladder and head to his table, taking a sip of water and gesturing for her to sit across from him.

"Before that, are you feeling well? Did the meditation at the pond help?"

"Oh yeah," the mage sat down and curiously peered at all the objects on the desk then back at Solas, "I feel… I don't know how to describe it. Like my mind is sharper, clearer? I don't feel so tense," she averted her gaze downwards and mumbled, "Though I still get angry if my thoughts wander to Crestwood or what happened with Mamae and Babae."

"That's perfectly understandable and natural. The journey to accept and let go isn't an easy one, but it will be worth it. One day you'll make it there Lethallan, have faith in yourself. Now that you know you are an era'elgar you will only grow stronger so long as you remain in harmonious tune with Valor." Ellana nodded and smiled warmly at him, Solas lifted his cup of water to his lips and took a small sip, "In any case, what words are you curious about today?"

"Sex and orgasm."

Water spewed at her and she shielded her eyes with her forearm, tilting her head in confusion when Solas gaped at her incredulously. She shrugged and focused on heating up her arm to evaporate the water drops, _what were the other ones she said?_ "Oh and making love and doing the deed. I can't remember the others though." The two stared at each other in silence for what seemed like hours and the mage was beginning to get frustrated, _surely it doesn't take him that long to think about it right? I have to go back to Sera soon!_ "Well?"

"R-right, sorry Lethallan I just didn't expect you to ask… Those words." _Why not?_ Solas sighed, "I'm assuming this is for Sera?"

"Yes, I'd like to know the elvhen equivalent in case if I do know what she's talking about."

"I'm not sure that you do, your Hahren did not teach you much about mating or love after all," the mage nodded and Solas looked up at the tower, noting Dorian's clearly amused face along with several curious onlookers. "I guess it's too late for discretion if this entire tower has heard," he cleared his throat with a cough and tried to keep his face and tone as neutral as possible. "Sex is pala. Making love in terms of sexual intercourse is tualath and to orgasm is," he coughed again, "Rosa'da'din."

"You're right I don't recognize those terms… What about doing the deed?"

"That is an idiom much like 'making love'," he noted the look of confusion, "A human expression that means the same as sex." _Oh._

"One more, I don't think she meant it as a curse so it can't be Fenedhis, but what about fuck?" _Why is he looking at me like that?_

"Err, well there are many ways to say fucking or… To fuck… Much in the way of 'making love' but," Solas sighed and smoothed his hand along his bald head then blurted out quickly, "Isalan pala na. If you do not mind Lethallan perhaps we should continue this another time, when we go for our meditation?" The apostate stood abruptly and left without another word, leaving Ellana confused and looking up when eavesdroppers above her suddenly erupted in laughter. _He seemed incredibly uncomfortable for some reason yet everyone is laughing, I don't understand._ She shrugged and rose from her chair then tucked it in the desk, _in any case I have to go back to Sera, we_ _need_ _to talk about Valor._

* * *

Heart constricting, Ellana didn't know whether to explode or melt in a gooey puddle. Without a doubt she knew she loved Sera and it didn't help that the archer had been stuck in a position she'd never willfully be caught in. The mage walked towards the bed as quietly as she could to get a closer look, her heart couldn't make up it's mind whether it wanted to swell and burst or skip beating all together. Sera had been sprawled out on her bed with one arm supporting underneath her head and the other draped over her half-exposed stomach, her face relaxed and peaceful as it usually was when sleeping in the elven woman's bed. _I want to kiss but they'll wake up…_ Her eyes trailed to the baby nug nestled on top of Sera's bosom, rising ever so slightly with each breath the rogue took.

 _They both look so vulnerable,_ she smiled serenely, her heart couldn't take anymore and her body began to move on it's own accord. Slowly crawling on all fours she placed her hands on either side of the archer's ribs and lowered, giving Nibbles a light kiss on the top of his head before scooting down to shower Sera's belly with the same loving attention. "Mm..." Ellana glanced up and noted the way the rogue's lips curled upwards as she hummed lowly, _if only we could stay here forever, to live in peace._ She trailed upwards and nudged the shirt higher with her nose, planting her lips on each rib. _But that's why we fight. In times of war prepare for peace,_ her heart faltered a little, _in times of peace prepare for war. We will always be fighting._

It had occurred to her she had never thought of the future, she had just assumed she would always be battling something, someone. If not Corypheus and demons, then bandits and dragons. _Is that something Sera would want?_ She looked at Nibbles, _would we have a family? Would I go back to the clan?_ Her spirits dipped lower, _I can't go back anymore, I can't even say goodbye._ She hovered over the nug and clambered a bit higher, ghosting her lips over Sera's as her eyebrows furrowed, _is it wrong to want a future with my bond-mate?_ "Mmph-hm?" Snapped out of her reverie she gaped at the clouded slits peering back at her, _months ago this would be considered the future. One day at a time, live in the now as Sera has taught me. I will make sure the future I saw in Redcliffe will never happen, and that's enough for me._ "Hey weirdo," the archer slurred happily, "Make sure you always wake me up like that."

"Ma nuvenin," Lavellan chuckled, "I'm sorry I woke you, I couldn't resist."

"See me complaining?" Sera's lips spread in a tired grin, "Anyways, move yer hand to the left or right. My tits ain't in the middle."

"What?" The mage looked down and Sera followed her gaze, "I'm not-"

"Aw mother fucker! Get the hell off me Food! Who said you could use me as a fuckin' pillow?!" _Food?_ The nug let out the faintest snore and Ellana instantly melted, lowering to pepper it with kisses before the archer deftly pushed her mouth to the side, "Hell no! Otherwise it's gonna think it's alright using my tits as a pillow!"

"Why not? They're comfy, I would too. Hey Nibbles make some room for me."

" **Fuck no**!"

"Fine," Lavellan pouted and rolled off to the side, taking the nug with her. _Nibbles is a heavy sleeper like me huh?_ She hugged him to her chest and faced away from the archer, thoroughly upset her and Nibbles couldn't nap on the squishy pillows. _I let her sleep on me! It's not fair if she won't let me sleep on her!_

"Really?"

"Yes," the mage mumbled like a sullen child, "Really."

"That ain't fair."

"Neither is you not letting me sleep on you."

"My boobs ain't made of steel dammit!" Sera sighed frustratedly, "Fine c'mere. But without the nug."

"No deal."

"What the fuck we ain't negotiating! _Tch_ fine yer loss!" They both laid in silence, both not wanting to talk about what was really on their mind. Seconds turned into minutes, minutes turned into hours, and soon they completely avoided the topic as they fell in a deep slumber.

* * *

Little squeaks aroused the archer and she wiped her eyes, sitting up and staring blankly at the _fucking_ creature responsible for waking her up. "The hell do ya want now you stupid Food?" She shivered slightly and looked around, the blankets were thrown off Ellana's side of the bed and the mage herself was missing. _Oh right, guess she's doing whatever with the bard._ Truth be told she was really curious, but knowing Lavellan if she wanted to keep somebody out that'd most likely involve one massive fireball and being roasty toasty was not on today's agenda.

Food let off what sounded like a soft whine and Sera glared irritatedly, "Whatever the hell you want forget 'bout it." The nug looked at it with large eyes, _ugh fuck, puppy eyes just like Ena._ "You and Ena are exactly like each other I swear," _guess she'd get mad if she found Food dead._ She huffed as she slid off the bed, "You hungry or somethin'?" The nug let out a series of squeaks and she sighed, "Alright c'mon, let's go grab a bite to eat then."

 _Feeding Food with food, well guess it'll be nice and plump when I kick its arse later._ Food jumped off the bed and followed the archer though it froze at the stairs. When she opened the door and looked behind her she stared at it confused, "The heck's yer problem?" _Oh right I carried it for stairs, must be scared of heights or somethin'._ She plopped back halfway and extended her arms, "If you can crawl down some of them, I'll carry ya for the rest." The nug glared at her and squeaked in protest, "Listen, ye gotta get over yer fears somehow yeah? I'll make sure you won't tumble down and break yer bony ass now quit being a wuss and hop down."

 _I can't believe I'm helping a fucking nug, this shit is messed up._ Food looked at her skeptically then hesitantly plopped down one step at a time, it wasn't aware that the archer would move down a step each time it did. When it reached the bottom it finally realized what she did and let out an angry honk, Sera chuckled, "I did you a favor. Look ye made it alive, was it really so bad?" Food averted its gaze then back at her, it squeaked and brushed past her then whined at the doorway, "Alright, alright hold on to yer friggin' kni… Oh right you don't wear 'em. Don't lose yer balls?" The nug stared blankly at her and she shrugged, "Don't ask me. C'mon let's go."

As soon as she opened the door Food protested at all the stairs they had to climb down and in order to save on time the archer picked it up and descended to the hallway. She ignored the rude comments from the nobles as she sat at one of the long tables, grinning when she let Food loose on top. "Eat all ya want, make sure you eat the real fancy shite so the poncy farts'll be pissed the hell off."

"Well this sure is something," Varric walked over and sat across from the two, amusement dancing in his eyes. "You've got a pet now?"

"Ena's pet, my future meal," she snickered when Food squeaked angrily, "But she'd probly get pissed off if it starved so here I am. Didjya see her?"

"Yeah, disappeared with a whole bunch of troops, something about working on a performance?" The dwarf shrugged, "Apparently she doesn't want people to know what's going on, there's a huge ring of fire and another barrier behind that, seems like the mages are blocking sound."

"Damn, she sure is serious 'bout keeping it a secret. You gonna do her tag-team thing?"

"Yeah I think I will. I can't do the archery contest, they're just jealous of Bianca." Varric leaned forward, "Don't have a partner but… Anybody is allowed to join, right?"

"Yep, should pair up with Bull. He could either toss yer arse or nobody'd notice you coz he's so damn tall and phwoar."

"Please Buttercup, everyone would be blinded by my chest hair, I don't need Tiny." He glanced at the nug, "Say, what would Phoenix do if the little guy got hurt?"

"Probly make everybody's death look like an accident," Sera replied nonchalantly as she wrestled with the lamb roast, "Both of 'em attached at the hip. I'm fighting with a fuckin' nug for kisses, it's bullshit."

"Will you be joining the tag-team?"

"Don't wanna, but Ena's gonna give me puppy eyes and I'm gonna be an idiot and fall for it. At least she won't actually need me, this type of shit is right up her alley. More worried she's gonna blow shit up even with 'non-destructive' magic, yeah Ena non-destructive my ass. This win is as good as ours though, free 100 in my pocket and I won't havta do anything."

"Pretty confident there Buttercup, but I'm afraid it won't be that easy. I've got a secret weapon that will even bring Phoenix down," the dwarf smiled coyly, "In any case, want me to babysit the nug for ya?"

"Sure, s'long as you don't eat it. Ena calls it Nibbles, I call it Food." _Wonder what his secret weapon is, doubt he'll tell me though. He's always full of shit anyways, worst bluff ever._

"Admit it, you like him," Varric chuckled when the nug came over and warmed up to him instantly, _what the hell?! I've been taking care of you, fuckin' traitor! How come you give me shit but with him yer best buddies?!_

"Over my dead body. Or it's dead body," her and the nug glowered at each other, "Just you wait Food. You'll get what's coming."

"Cute how you two love each other," both stared at Varric as if he said the most preposterous thing in the world and he laughed as he carried Food away, "I'm gonna go sign up for the tag-team tourney. Don't forget 'bout the archery contest too, that's pretty much free gold for ya there." _Oh yeah…_ "See ya Buttercup. Good luck, you're gonna need it!"

"Yeah right… Who needs luck when you've got skill and a pissed off fire-breather?"


	27. The Strongest Duo

**Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!**

 **AN** **:** Happy belated Canada's Day! And soon happy 4th of July! Sorry for the late update, I've decided to take turns where one day would be dedicated to writing for Fen'myal and the next day to this story (then that cycle was temporarily interrupted by awesome fireworks lol). And lol Nyx, I love 'Nipples' too ;P haha couldn't resist mate!

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _Son era:_ Sleep well

 _Ar lath na:_ I love you

 _Juveran na su tarasyl:_ I will take you to the sky

 _Isalan pala na:_ I want to fuck you (Solas was brave to teach this :P)

 _On dhea, Sael:_ Good morning, First

 _Ir abelas:_ I'm sorry

* * *

 **The Strongest Duo**

* * *

Two days until Satinalia. Ellana wiped the sweat off her brow, every second was spent training or practicing for something. Her and Sera have avoided the talk about Valor but things were still good between them, and the mage began wondering if it was even necessary to talk about the spirit. _Does she still trust me?_ She didn't sense the archer's discomfort apart from the occasional round of tag with Nibbles, but she amounted that to Sera being annoyed for losing to an animal. In any case, preparations took up all her time and she still didn't have a clue on how to bring up the topic, _maybe she just needs time? I didn't accept it right away, and I'm a mage. She's still uncomfortable with magic, of course something like this will be really scary to her._

After checking in with Leliana and Josephine for progress and reports, she was pleased to know that Bull and his Chargers had returned from Crestwood with the warden as well. There was still the matter of sealing the rift but she was reassured the villagers were evacuated and safe with Inquisition troops stationed nearby. The only thing that greatly worried her now was when Josephine received news from her diplomat sent to Wycome, and the Spymaster gave her another note the Keeper had written for her. All she could do now was have faith that Leliana's agents would be able to sneak the dalish hunters inside the city, and pray for their safety as well as their success in thwarting the red lyrium operations.

After bringing Bull and the Chargers up to speed about Satinalia, the qunari grinned and refused to train Ellana since he would be participating in the tourney as well. He had a 'secret weapon' of some sort, and the mage vaguely remembered Sera mentioning Varric had a secret weapon as well. _Everyone is teaming up against me,_ Lavellan grinned and slammed her fist in her palm as she walked back to her chambers, _this is going to be the best fight ever! My training will no doubt pay off, especially with the new tricks I've practiced._ It took a whole hour of nagging and promising Sera she could have whatever she wanted from her in order to sign up as her partner, yet the archer was still disgruntled about the decision. _Doesn't she know I'll protect her? Besides it's still going to be harmless, why is she still worried about physical harm?_ She was prepared to end matches versus other mages as quickly as possible so that Sera wouldn't have to suffer just being around magic, even if that meant using the techniques she'd been saving to surprise Bull.

The newest addition to the tournament itself was that instead of the sparring ring, the entire top of the courtyard was the battle-field. The only boundaries were not to go inside any building, up the battlements, or the lower half of the courtyard and spectators were allowed to watch from the battlements. For the first few matches the courtyard would be temporarily split in half so that there could be two rounds going at once, Ellana had been pleased to see just how many people signed up and all of them diverse. Everybody seemed to have a strategy of some sort and this reflected well with their partners, some laborers had even teamed up with other mages. Unfortunately, though the elven woman wasn't really surprised, none of the Chantry clerics signed up even when she had bugged them about it, _wouldn't their god want them to have fun as well?_

Nonetheless, it's not like she could force them to participate and she left it alone, _they'll get to enjoy the other events and stalls._ Just thinking about how hard she's worked with the others to set up their 'performance' made her blood boil, she couldn't wait to see the looks on everybody's faces. It was planned to start once the sun set and all fires would be snuffed out, the only light would come from a large bonfire included in the show. Energy sucked out of her for the day, she had no trouble needing to be mindful with her door as she entered her quarters, her lips automatically spreading into a grin when she smelled both the nug and archer. Though Sera insisted she was still living in her room at the tavern, every night she'd come to sleep in Ellana's bed saying who wouldn't when it was as comfortable as it was.

 _Always hides what she truly feels, but why? I don't understand what's changed when she does happen to admit it sometimes._ The mage stripped on the way to the bed and slid under the blankets on the opposite side, tucking herself behind Sera and draping her arm over the rogue's waist. "Mm… S'that you Ena?" Whenever the archer slurred sleepily Lavellan's heart threatened to burst and she wanted nothing more than to shower Sera with non-stop kisses. _I will never understand these urges but I don't think I'm meant to,_ the mage hummed and pressed her lips to the back of Sera's shoulder. "Food missed you today, little bugger-snot gave me more trouble than usual." _I still don't get why she refers to Nibbles as Food,_ Ellana smiled and trailed soft kisses down the rogue's arm.

"Did you miss me too?" Despite knowing they both felt strongly for each other, Lavellan couldn't help but wonder why the archer was reserved in sharing her feelings-verbally anyways. If Sera didn't deflect with humor to derail from the topic, she'd stubbornly stay quiet and eventually shut the elven woman up with kisses before it led to something more. Any time that it was about to, Nibbles would squeak and the rogue would be upset. _I wonder why?_ At the moment, the archer opted for silence while Ellana worked her way back up to the shoulder and gently licked the mark on the neck that-instead of going away-had begun to change. _How am I supposed to tell her that it's permanent?_ She didn't think Sera would care about that per say, but more the reason on  why it's able to be permanent. She scooted closer and squeezed tighter, "Sera?"

"You already know the answer ye daft tit," _well that's more than I usually get,_ "I don't get why you still ask this shite."

"And I don't get why it's so hard for you to admit and say what you feel out loud."

"Nothing to admit when it's obvious, yeah?"

"No, it's not obvious. I can't read minds, Sera, I can sense when you're irritated or upset but that doesn't mean I know why."

"Where the fuck did this come from? I ain't upset."

Ellana sighed, _I don't even need to smell to know that you are. Forget it this will only lead to an argument and neither of us needs that,_ she brushed her lips along the back of Sera's neck and whispered. "I'm sorry, come on let's just relax and sleep."

"That's what I was doing," the archer grumbled bitterly and pushed the sleeping nug over, "Take it, it can sleep on yer tits tonight." When Lavellan reached over and tucked Nibbles in between her stomach and the small of Sera's back she watched worriedly when she noted how tense the rogue's shoulders got. _This_ _is what's obvious, Sera._ Her own temper flared and she wanted to confront the issue directly, _every time I do that I push her farther away though._ Not trusting herself to stay calm, Ellana stayed quiet and snuggled closer then squeezed Sera's waist.

"Son era," she whispered, "Ar lath na." The archer merely grunted her response.

* * *

Not wanting to wake Sera up nor risk upsetting her, the mage slid out of bed extremely slowly and carefully as she cradled the sleeping nug. The performance was set, the drums arrived on time, and the last day would be spent preparing the courtyard for the tournament so practice was out of the question. Nonetheless everybody was confident in their respective roles and Ellana ensured that should it even blow up in their faces then everything would still be alright. What mattered most was having fun and judging by the large amounts of alcohol Josephine and Cabot secured, people would have fun regardless if there was music or not. And so, she left to find the warden Bull had brought over to see what else he knew that Leliana hadn't specified in her reports. After all, it's not like many have survived the blight and fought alongside the Hero of Fereldan whom she was told was also a dalish elf, she was curious as to what sort of woman she was. As she plopped out into the hallway she accidentally bumped into Vivienne and immediately averted her gaze guiltily as the woman inspected her with a skeptical look. "O-on dhea my-damn-fur," she mumbled then looked up, confused when Vivienne's stared at her with one eyebrow risen. "What?" _She doesn't look mad, why?_

"On dhea? I'm not quite sure what that means," Vivienne's eyes narrowed, "Or why you look like a kicked puppy and speak as if you've just committed some treacherous act."

"Oh, on dhea means good morning," Ellana smiled sheepishly as the eyes narrowed even more, she was nervous to blurt the words out. One great thing about the orlesian mage was the whole 'smelling strong' and being a truly powerful woman… However that was only great if she was your ally. At the moment, the dalish elf wasn't sure of her allegiance and shrunk in fear at the prospect of Vivienne remembering her broken promise. _I'll have to apologize for my failures sooner or later,_ she sighed and bowed to the confused woman, "I'm sorry."

"My dear whatever could you be sorry for? I do not recall you doing me any wrong." _Doesn't she remember Crestwood?_

"T-the promise," Lavellan straightened herself and subconsciously snuggled Nibbles closer to her chest, she mustered the courage to look in the orlesian mage's eyes. "In Crestwood I promised you when we would escape from the fortress that I would personally kill every single man there but I… Well..." It was her turn to be confused when the haughty laughter bounced off the expansive walls, Vivienne patted her shoulder reassuringly and simply walked away. _I don't… Understand? She's not mad? Why wouldn't she be mad?_

Not willing to tempt her fate she shrugged it off and made way to Varric, knowing that the dwarf had developed a fondness for Nibbles and was more than happy to babysit the nug. She waved goodbye to the two and set off to ensure everything was prepared for the big celebration tomorrow: the stalls had been set up, the courtyard successfully split into two, and the aroma from the kitchen made her stomach growl. _Oh right I should check with Cabot too,_ she head to the tavern and gaped at all the barrels of mead lined up behind the dwarf, _never mind, nothing to worry about that's for sure._ Reassured and pumped up that everything was as it should be, she happily ran towards the Ambassador's office to update her and see if there was any last-minute tasks she could help out with. Unfortunately there was nothing, the mage dreaded this now that one thing remained doing.

Talking to Sera.

As she reluctantly made way for her quarters she rubbed her clammy palms together, _why does talking to her suddenly seem difficult?_ Her stomach churned with nervousness and she chastised herself, _and how is it scarier than staring at death in the eyes?_ She let out a small sigh then braced herself as she opened the chamber door and slowly strolled up the steps, _what's the point? We're just going to get angry and argue over something stupid again, that'll make things worse rather than solve it. Not talking is better, I'll just shut her up if things get heated._ She inwardly groaned, _I wish this was something I could just blast away. This is giving me a headache._ As soon as she made it up to the top it was then she finally remembered that… Well. She remembered that she completely forgot that she wanted to talk to the warden. However it was too late to turn back when the archer looked up and stared at her, Sera was sitting at the edge of the bed with a haunted look in her eyes. Ellana panicked and rushed forward at the smell of salt and fear, she wrapped the rogue in a warm embrace and cradled her head against her bosom as she stood before her. Instincts guided her and she whispered soothingly, "You're okay. Everything will be alright," _I don't understand it but it seems right to say._ Tiny hands clutched on to her shirt as if afraid she'd disappear and this worried her greatly, _familiar scent, she had another bad dream._

Kneeling on one knee she framed Sera's face and kissed her with every ounce of strength and feeling she had, hoping it would snap the archer out of whatever was haunting her. The moment she parted to ask what was wrong Sera pulled her on to the bed and tugged on the collar of her shirt, "Off," she rasped, "Normally," _normally? Oh right no burning._ Judging by the rogue's demeanor it was her that needed distracting so instead Lavellan hooked her hands under Sera's shirt and pulled it off before she had the chance to orientate herself, "I said-" she growled when she was cut off by the searing mouth once again.

"The dream," Ellana whispered as she pinned the archer's wrists at her hips and lowered to trail kisses down her stomach, "What happened?"

"Shut the fuck up, did you forget?" Sera struggled against the mage's hold to no avail, "Sex without the fucking talking." _Pala was the word right? Pala…_

"Juveran na su tarasyl," Lavellan grinned as she clambered higher to nibble the clearly-pissed-off elf's mark, "Isalan pala na." _The bruise is changing to a different shape._

"What part of shut up don't you fuckin' _-shit!_ "

"Tell me what happened or I won't."

"Shut up!"

" **Sera**." The archer struggled against the iron-grip and huffed, she angrily glared at Ellana yet stayed silent, _she's scared. It's easy to smell and see but why is she scared?_ The elven woman conceded and tenderly trailed kisses along her jaw bone then stopped at her chin, "Promise me you'll tell me after, then?" Sera tensed in her grip and averted her gaze, _so that means no._ Lavellan brushed her lips along the rogue's, _I don't understand any of this. She wants 'sex' but she doesn't smell like she does, what's the point of doing something she won't enjoy? If she just told me what's wrong…_ It occurred to her then that she'd most likely still do the same thing whether she knew it or not. _I don't know what to say or do with these things otherwise._ She released one wrist and slid along Sera's cheek, "I'm sorry for upsetting you. Whatever you want I'll do it, ma'arlath." She ran her tongue along the archer's bottom lip and pressed softly then worked her way downwards, trying her best to kiss every inch of creamy skin as gently as possible. She released the second wrist and stabilized herself by planting her hands on either side of the rogue's waist, the two watched each other silently. _There's the smell,_ Ellana smiled warmly, "Sera, promise me you'll **relax**."

" _Tch_ ," the archer grinned and ruffled the firebrand hair, "Always stealing my words..." She sighed reluctantly and the tension in her body visibly melted as she sank into the bed, "Alright but do it fast. If that stupid Food stops us one more time I'm killing it."

"He's with Varric," Lavellan grinned as she continued her path downwards and gently tugged on the leggings, _she still calls him Food and it._ Helping Sera take her leggings off, she settled in between and once again fought for control when the scent overwhelmed her senses. _I've gotten a better handle on it but,_ she dipped lower and tentatively licked, earning a gasp from the archer. _I want her to relax, to enjoy,_ she forced herself to go as slowly as possible, the urge to overpower Sera was increasingly tempting the stronger her taste got. Leaning on one elbow she experimentally touched with her finger as the rogue once did for her, _I vaguely remember something like…_ Her finger sank in somewhere and was squeezed by a warm velvety softness, she froze with worry when Sera cried out. "That didn't hurt did it?"

" _Fuck_ no, stop and I'll kill you," the archer rasped out, "Quit going so fuckin' gentle too. That's not you," she gulped and looked down, eyes fully dilated and clouded with something that always beckoned and brought forth the primal urges within Ellana. "Don't hold back on me Ena," Sera smirked when she saw the fire mage cracking and struggling then reached over to pull her up. She caught and roughly sucked on the bottom lip yet never broke eye contact with the amber specks that glowed brightly. _I want to, but I can't,_ Lavellan was torn, _I wanted her to relax, I wanted to prove that I can be gentle when she needs me to…_ Sharp canines grazed and pricked the corner of her lip, as soon as she felt the bittersweet tangy tongue sweep along the roof of her mouth she threw caution to the wind and aggressively kissed Sera with everything she had. Her free hand ghosted along and pushed the slick folds apart, exploring until she found the entrance she was looking for. "What are you waiting for Ena?" The rogue grumbled when all she could feel was the tip of a finger sliding in partially before back out, "The fuck are you doing? P- _shit!_ " Ellana pushed as deep as she could and grinned when Sera arched towards her, the scent intensified and threatened to drive her insane as she thrust in and out. Not wanting to disappoint she forced a second finger inside and decided to leave another permanent mark, _anyone who fucking dares touch her will be ripped apart._ Licking along the ridge of the collarbone she closed her eyes and commanded fire to course through her veins, she prepared her teeth then pierced the skin and directed the magic to flow through. She heard Sera inhale sharply, the same time she sank her canines in she roughly pushed her fingers up to the knuckles and growled possessively at the ear-shattering cursed moan.

 ** _Mine_** **.**

When she felt a hand squeeze her forearm she looked down in confusion and worry immediately filled her, _did I hurt her? I've been practicing with my magic so the mark wouldn't hurt though!_ "Sera?" The archer's ragged breathing did nothing to appease her growing guilt and fear, she tried to ignore the velvet soft walls clamping down and throbbing against her fingers. _Something I'll ask later but for now,_ she searched the half-lidded eyes for answers but found no pain, only a dazed look. "Sera are you alright?" She lowered and brushed her lips against the archer's, "Sera?" The lack of response frightened her and her heart constricted painfully, _I don't understand, she doesn't look like she's in pain._

"T-that's the difference," the rogue choked out, "When you lose it you don't see this part." _What part?_ Ellana gently retracted her fingers and stared confusedly at the soft whine, "Fuck that was fuckin' _amazing…_ Insane luv," Sera chuckled tiredly, "C'mere, kiss me before ya lose yer marbles coz ya look like you saw a friggin'… Well you'd get excited with a dragon or demon so-ah fuck it just kiss me already." The mage nodded yet still had no idea what was going on, she glanced at the new mark at the collarbone and gently lapped at it earning a pleasurable hiss. Lavellan grinned and clambered up higher, humming approvingly at the mouth that clamped over hers and kissed possessively. _She's mine and I'm hers,_ the inferno mage reciprocated with just as much passion and noticed when Sera began to slacken, she looked at the razor sharp slits clouded with exhaustion.

"Want to sleep?"

"Fuck _yes please_ ," Sera groaned, "Usually I'm down for another round but you fuckin' take everything out of me." _Another round of what? The orgasm thing?_

"That's good right?" The archer snickered softly and gently pushed Ellana off then rolled over on her side, tugging on the mage to tuck in behind her. For some odd reason as Lavellan situated behind Sera and draped her arm over the sweat-slicked waist, the topic of the spirit entered her mind. "Hey..." She squeezed gently, _now would be a good time to ask if she's in a good mood right?_ "Sera?" No response, _did she sense that's what I want to talk about?_ Curious, she scooted closer and peered over at the archer's face, heart swelling at the peaceful features and light snore. She pressed her lips against Sera's shoulder and whispered, "Son era, ma emma sa'lath." _Hopefully she has good dreams now._ She relaxed and laid back down, determined to wrap the archer in a tight embrace she fought to stay awake and heated up her body in comfortable warmth. _I_ _will_ _stay awake no matter what,_ she kissed the back of Sera's neck and snuggled closer, _and when she wakes up we'll talk about Valor, I'll give her a massage and make sure she's comfortable._ As her thoughts drifted, her temporary immunity to sleep withered away and her eyes flickered shut.

The mage hadn't even lasted a whole minute.

* * *

Roused awake by loud cheering, Sera groaned and reluctantly opened her eyes. Needless to say, she was confused when the mage was beneath her, and when she glanced over her shoulder she saw two arms wrapped around the small of her back. _What the… I slept on top of Ena?_ Her last memories crashed down on her and her stomach stirred pleasantly while heat pooled between her thighs, _right we fucked. Well she did that for me anyways,_ she grinned when an idea hit her and softly blew on Lavellan's chin. _Nothing'll wake her up,_ after wrestling a little bit she managed to slither out of the warm embrace and crawled down, _dressed her up once,_ her grin grew, _it's time to pay me back for that, Ena._ Rolling up the shirt, she looked at the toned stomach and contemplated where to set her plan in motion. Lowering to the side of where the abdomen muscles prominently rippled she sucked and gently bit, _leave a hickey on her stomach and see what she's gonna do. Gonna be fuckin' sexy if she pounces on me for it,_ her ears perked when she heard familiar armored footsteps in the distance, "Aw no c'mon... Can't we be alone for just one day?" She groaned frustratedly at the knocks, "Yeah we're in here Red!" She rolled the shirt back down and nudged the mage's hip, _yeah like that'll wake her up, why do I bother?_

As Leliana entered and climbed up the stairs, she looked at the two elves in confusion, "The Inquisitor… Isn't ready still?"

"Huh? Ready for what?"

"Satinalia," the two women stared blankly at each other before realization dawned on Sera.

"What?! We slept a whole fuckin' day?!" _Holy shit, how the hell did we sleep for so long?!_

"I don't know anything about that, but the Inquisitor may wish to be woken up so she doesn't miss her own events." Leliana smirked in pure amusement when the archer hastily scrambled over and shook Lavellan by the shoulders so hard her head was bobbing up and down.

"Wake up ye daft tit!" Sera tapped the mage's cheek and slapped lightly, "Now ain't the friggin' time to sleep like the fuckin' dead! Wake up for the love of- **ugh**!" She pulled on Ellana's collar and aggressively clamped over the drooling mouth, _dammit this is the only reason I_ _don't_ _wanna fuckin' kiss you when there's a fuckin' waterfall!_ She gaped in shock when the elven woman  still didn't wake up, _what the hell I thought kissing was all it took!_

"Allow me to help, the warden was the exact same way," the Spymaster glanced over and smiled coyly, "If you don't mind, please dress up so that the Inquisitor doesn't get… Other ideas." _Huh?_ Sera looked down, _oh shit forgot. Damn her naked frolicking habit's rubbing off on me now._ The rogue clambered off and gathered her clothes as she watched Ellana protectively when Leliana hovered over. _The hell is she going to do?_

"On dhea Sael," the Spymaster spoke authoritatively and frankly it scared the crap out of Sera, evidently it did the same for the mage who immediately snapped awake and rolled off the bed shouting her apologies. _What… The actual fuck?_

"Ir abelas, Keeper!" Ellana ducked at the edge of the bed, "I didn't do anything I swear!" _You ain't acting like you didn't do anything though._ Sera and Leliana exchanged amused glances.

"What the fuck did you even say to her?"

"Good morning First," Leliana shrugged at the confused look as the two continued to watch the inferno mage cower behind the bed and still apologize. "'First' is what her role in the clan was called, and the warden-the Hero of Fereldan-told me how the Keeper could wake her up from the deepest slumber just by saying those words. I still don't know why to this day. Handy trick nonetheless but anyways," the Spymaster walked around the bed and knelt down, putting a reassuring hand on Lavellan's shoulder, "Inquisitor calm down, you're alright. More importantly, today is Satinalia and you'll be late for the tournament if you don't go now."

At that the mage immediately snapped out of her reverie and stared confusedly at both women watching her, "What… Wait what? I thought the Keeper was-" she peered over the bed and scanned her chambers, "Was I dreaming?" Both women smirked at each other as Ellana desperately tried to figure out what just happened, the confusion evident on her features with her eyebrows furrowed with worry. It finally dawned on her what Leliana said and her head snapped towards them, "Wait, Satinalia is today?" She looked at Sera and the archer shrugged.

"Don't look at me, all I know is that we really did sleep that long. C'mon ye daft tit let's go to the party already." _Can't wait to get my hands on the good stuff Cabot ordered. Greedy bastard wanted to charge extra if I wanted it earlier. Gonna need a round before we do this stupid tag-team shit._ She sighed when the mage immediately bounced around with excitement and rushed out of the room, she looked at Leliana and stuck out her tongue at the woman's amused smirk. "Tell me later what those words are," _can't believe I'm learning elfy shite,_ "Might need it for an emergency some day." She left to follow the bundle of energy and missed the Spymaster's soft whisper.

"Why don't you admit the truth?"

* * *

"Sera! Sera over here!" Lavellan bounced up and down and waved her arms frantically for the archer to see her in the thick crowd, her blood boiled with adrenaline just seeing at how many participants there were and all the equally-excited spectators on the battlements. There was scaffolding built for a soldier who volunteered to be the announcer, the man belted out the rules as loudly as he could and made the participants swear an oath to follow them. Ellana slammed her fist in her palm and grinned as she shouted out her oath, "I vow to fight fairly in accordance to the rules!" When the rogue wove through the thick crowd and stood by her side, she reached over and squeezed her hand, the roaring and cheering made it difficult even for them to talk to each other. "I'm fired up," the mage waited eagerly for her name to be announced, "First match is ours!"

The participants were hoarded into a holding area and Lavellan grinned when she bumped into Bull and Dorian, "You two are partnered up?" The tevinter mage sighed dejectedly and Sera patted his shoulder reassuringly, they both looked at each other then nodded sadly. _Huh? What's with them?_ The qunari teased her and rested his large arm on top of her head, she swatted at it playfully and the two grinned as their competitive spirit flared to life. "You're going **down** Bull, I'm not holding back at all!"

"Neither am I," Bull thumbed at Dorian, "Meet my secret weapon."

"Might I add that I'm a human and not an object?" The tevinter mage grumbled, "How did I even get roped into this?"

"Lemme guess," Sera crossed her arms, "Bull signed you up without you knowing."

"Yep!" The qunari grinned, "It's good training Vint!"

"Ah yes, grabbing cloths is indubitably the best way to train and will undoubtedly save my life in the future." The crowd cheered when the announcer shouted out the first names, Ellana's wish came true when they were first up against a pair she hadn't recognized.

"Come on Sera!" The mage dragged Sera to the second ring and looked over at the first in curiosity but she hadn't recognized the competitors there either. Several of the volunteers tied the cloths around everybody's belts and Lavellan hopped in the spot to warm herself up as the announcer shouted out the rules again.

"Yer way too excited for this ye daft tit," the archer grinned at her, "It's just grabbin' some stupid cloth. This'll be easy."

"Don't underestimate them Sera," Ellana sniffed the air and her eyes narrowed on the two men pitted against them, _I smell magic._ "They're mages." _I've never smelled this type though,_ she shifted closer to the tense rogue and squeezed her hand reassuringly, "I'll handle this."

"Don't be stupid," Sera swallowed the lump in her throat and glared at the elven woman, "We're a team. I gotta make sure you won't blow yerself up after all." As soon as the announcer dropped his arm signaling the rounds to start, Ellana rushed forward and ignored the archer's protests. _I can smell her fear, pretending to be tough won't do any good either._ Her instincts screamed at her to run back but she ignored them, confused when the two men stood calmly. _What are they doing?_

"You better not be holding back on me!" Lavellan's eyes widened and she ducked immediately, _what was that?_ Some sort of gust flew towards her and she snapped back up, _right magic's allowed but…_ She sensed another wave of energy and jumped to the side, _wind magic?!_ She smirked and sprinted towards them again, _that's easy then, just dodge the gusts!_ When she got closer she was suddenly pushed back by an invisible force and knocked to her feet, Sera caught up with her and helped her stand. They gaped at the two men cloaked in wind, "Fenedhis, how are we supposed to get close to that?"

"We won't be able to get theirs but they can't get ours without knocking us back either," the two elves sighed, "It's an endurance match then."

"Well that's no fun, this'll take forever..." Lavellan patted the dust off her bum until an idea hit her, _Dorian explained before why I was able to get close to Alexius in Redcliffe…_ She grinned proudly, "On my signal run and make the grab Sera."

"Are you daft? We can't get close and-" Ellana ignored her and began sprinting towards the two calm men, smirking confidently as she cloaked her entire body in fire. "Ena! You'll fucking burn them!" The powerful gusts pushed her back and she slowed down, rooting herself in the ground as she advanced. _Not enough, need more,_ Sera continued to shout the closer she got and the men exchanged confused glances until they focused on strengthening the winds surrounding them. The announcer was shouting with enthusiasm and the spectators roared, it served as fuel and made Lavellan's blood boil hotter. She rose both her arms in the air and announced gleefully.

"This is **my** win!" The flames cloaking her body rose higher and crackled with explosive heat, she directed the energy to erupt and shoot straight up, "Now, Sera!" The winds died out and the men panicked, Sera took the leap of faith and sprinted around the elven woman then slid on her knees as she filched the cloths from their belts. Just like that the match was over and Ellana fist pumped in the air as the crowd cheered, in her excitement she held one finger up and shot off a fireball in the sky as she shouted loudly, "Number one! We're the strongest duo!" The fireball crackled and exploded like fireworks, Sera mirrored the mage's childish grin when she walked over and tied the men's cloths around her belt.

"Strongest duo huh? You sure are confident luv," the archer grabbed her wrist and pulled Ellana back outside the ring to the holding area, "How the heck did you even do that?"

"Hot air rises," Lavellan stated proudly, "See? It's a good thing when I blow myself up!"

"Yeah yeah," Sera chuckled, "Come on it's gonna be a while before we get to play again, let's go grab a bite to eat and a good drink." They wove through the massive crowd and head to the lower courtyard where all the stalls were set up, "Hey, when do you do the whatever you've been practicing with the bard?"

"When the sun sets, after the tag-team there's the archery contest too. You signed up right?"

"Nope," Sera shrugged, "Didn't see the point. Prize is just food." _Knew it!_

"Exactly why I signed you up anyways," Ellana announced cheerfully and pulled the rogue by the wrist before she could protest, "Look! Goat roast, your favorite!"

"That's **your** favorite ye daft twat," Sera grumbled, "Why the hell did you sign me up?!"

"So you can win me the free food, duh?"

"You already **get** free food!"

"It'll be more free food!" The two bickered as they moved from stall to stall and picked out whatever they wanted, the others that witnessed the exchange laughed. _We should do this more often,_ Lavellan ignored the rogue's complaints and took the moment to look around, _everyone looks happy and relaxed. This is how it should be,_ her temper flared just at the thought of Corypheus, _after tonight is done I'm going to personally find him and roast him alive._ She went to Cabot's stall then ordered his strongest bottle and rushed back to Sera who was currently looking incredibly displeased with the fact she was signed up for something she didn't want to do. "If it upsets you that much you don't have to do it," Ellana pouted as she mumbled, "Just wanted you to have fun and be with you so I thought..." She trailed off and Sera sighed.

"Fine~ you'll get yer stupid food," the archer grinned and took the bottle then poured into their mugs, "But you owe me. Jeez can't believe you like food more than-"

"I'll eat you too."

"What the fuck?! I said I ain't food dammit!" Sera downed her mug in one go and Ellana grinned as she copied her, the archer reacted quickly and snatched the cup out of her hands. "Don't drink ye friggin' crying drunk."

"Aw come on, we haven't done this in a really long time!"

"Coz you turn into a mopey tit, don't you wanna win the tag-team?"

"We'll still win," Lavellan reached over but the rogue kept the mug away from her, "Don't be like that Sera!"

" **No.** You'll burst into tears or somethin'!"

"Sera~" Ellana stood and loomed over the archer, she framed her face and kissed her passionately in front of everybody. Some of those that saw whistled and howled, she grinned when she forced her tongue inside and swallowed Sera's moan. Her distraction worked perfectly as she easily stole the mug back then parted and sat back down on the log as she poured the mead. The archer looked like she was in a daze and Lavellan took her chance to hastily gulp down the bitter liquid that burned in her throat, _it's like drinking fire..._ She wiped her lips with her forearm and smirked when Sera panicked and took the mug away from her again, "Too late!" Her nerves thrummed when a light buzz settled in and the urge to kiss occupied her thoughts, her stomach stirred when images of yesterday flashed within her mind's eye.

"Ugh yer just askin' for trouble," Sera watched her like a hawk, "No more for you. Last thing anybody needs is a drunken tit on fire burning the friggin' fortress down." _I feel fine though,_ in fact she could have sworn her senses were heightened, _it's like it's made me stronger._ She reached for the mug but Sera pushed her away with one hand on her chest, Ellana growled and pulled on the arm to bring the rogue closer to her. She vaguely heard the howls and whistles in the background as she aggressively clamped her mouth over the archer's, she parted to stand and walked around Sera then wrapped her arms around her waist. Forcefully lifting her, she made way to the upper level of the stables and ignored the rogue's shouting, "Snap out of it Ena! The fuck are you doing?!" Lavellan lowered her then spun her around, pinning her against the barn wall and kissing her possessively. _**Mine**_ _._ The familiar scent that threatened her sanity assaulted her nose and she growled, she forced her hand inside Sera's tights and stroked the wet core. Conscious thought flew out of her mind and she was possessed by her overpowering urges, all she knew was that she  needed to hear the archer scream her name again. "E-Ena- _fuck_ -not that I'm- _ah_ complaining but- _shit!_ "

"Shut the fuck up," Lavellan growled and roughly sucked on the new mark, grinning wolfishly when the scent intensified and the rogue moaned. She vaguely heard their names announced for the next match but couldn't care less, she roughly thrust her fingers inside of Sera and reveled in the way the archer clung to her desperately as she shouted her name. _That's it,_ she set a rough and fast pace, _scream louder. I want everybody to know you're mine._ The leggings were infuriating her and she contemplated on burning them but something told her that was not a good idea. "Take them off," she pulled her hand out and her heart constricted at Sera's low whine then hastily wrestled the tights down, kneeling and inching the archer's legs apart. "You were wrong about the goat roast Sera," she chuckled huskily when she peered up at the clouded slits swirling with feral desire, "This is my favorite food."

"I said I ain't fuckin' foo- _fuck!_ " Sera's legs threatened to buckle on her and she squeezed the mage's shoulders in a desperate attempt to hold herself up when she felt the searing tongue flick the sensitive bud. "Ena," she gasped when white-hot pleasure blinded her, the pressure was building incredibly fast and the coil wound tighter. "Ena- _shit_ -slow down a little I-"

" **No** ," Ellana growled, "Now shut up," _she's the one that said she wanted 'sex' without talking._ She felt lithe fingers weave through her hair and roughly tug on her roots, she experimentally lapped at the swollen button and-if Sera's loud cursing was any indication-determined it felt good for her. As she sucked she eased one finger inside the wet core and groaned when the warm velvety softness clamped around her finger, _hot like fire._ The more she lapped and stroked with her fingers, the stronger the taste and her sanity was cracking. _Better than fire, better than fighting,_ she forced a second finger inside and grunted when Sera pulled on her hair even more, "Quit moving so much you're making it hard for me to eat."

"Are you fuckin' serious, that's your problem?!" The archer seethed vehemently, "You're driving me fucking insane, I'm gonna move as much as I fuckin' want!" _Wrong answer._ Ellana thrust roughly and grazed her canines along the swollen bud, growling warningly when Sera's hips bucked again. She noted how the thighs quivered and the velvet heat throbbed lightly, _I vaguely remember this happening when she did this for me. Something about releasing,_ she looked up at the clouded eyes and an ache settled between her own thighs, _she looks amazing like this._ "So fuckin' close," Sera breathed and gulped for much needed air, Lavellan heard their names announced in the distance again and how they'd be disqualified if they didn't come in the next 5 minutes. _I have to hurry._

"Heh," the archer chuckled huskily, "Yeah we're workin' on that..." _On what? Coming in 5 minutes?_ Not wanting to miss the match she stood and clamped her mouth over Sera's as she pushed her fingers in deeper, she felt the way the archer tensed and lowered to suckle on the new sensitive mark. She grinned proudly when the velvet heat clamped on her fingers and the scream that proved it was her doing, _I'm the one that brings her to the sky and back._ Unable to wait for the archer to come down from her high she hastily retracted her fingers and curiously sucked off the juices coating it, unaware at the heated stare she earned. "Fuck Ena... How does someone like you go from clueless to fucking in a stable and doing the kinkiest shit?"

"What's kinkiest mean?"

"And then blow it all up at the same time," Sera groaned and rested her head against the wall, "Hold me up before I drop on my ass," she chuckled hoarsely, "That was fuckin' intense. If you drinking stronger stuff does this every time, we're goin' to-"

"Sera we need to go," Ellana urged and knelt down to pull the rogue's leggings back up, "We have two minutes to make it to the ring."

"Wait, _what?_ We're still fighting?!"

"Uh, yeah? That's why I rushed," Lavellan tugged on her wrist and noted the exhaustion in the razor sharp slits, "Come on we'll win fast and you can take a nap after I promise." When dragging the city elf proved to be difficult and slowing her down, she lifted Sera instead and began running towards the ring. She wasn't aware how the people outside the stables looked at the two, nor noticed the beet-red faces or shocked whispers but frankly her mind was occupied by something far more important. "Sera," she gave a light shake to the archer that lulled around sleepily in her arms, "Don't sleep yet, wake up!" They got to the ring just in time and she stepped inside, seeing she had no other choice she gently lowered Sera on the ground and pulled off her vest, rolling it up and tucking it underneath the rogue's head.

"Inquisitor! Is your partner alright?" The announced asked worriedly, "Does she need a healer?"

"She's alright, she's just taking a nap!" Ellana shrugged and grinned wolfishly at her next two opponents, she held her hand out and gestured for them to come at her, "Bring it, I can take you two by myself!" _Bull and Dorian,_ her canines flashed in the sunlight as the qunari's gruff laughter rumbled through her even across the field.

"Hate to break it to ya Boss, but this win is ours!" _I've been waiting and training hard for this, it's time to show Bull what I'm capable of._ As soon as the announcer dropped his arm to signal a start to the match, both Bull and Ellana sprinted towards each other. She glanced over at Dorian who stood there and seemingly watched, her temper flared.

"I said **two** of you! Give me all that you've got or you'll regret it!" She ducked and dove between Bull's legs when he made a grab for her cloth, but when she scrambled to her feet she panicked. The qunari continued towards Sera, _she's defenseless!_ She glanced over her shoulder and noted how Dorian glowed with a seemingly golden aura, _what…?_ She shook her head and rushed back to the archer, eyes widened when the same golden glow now cloaked Bull. _What's going on?!_ She gritted her teeth when the qunari ran abnormally faster and she inwardly kicked herself, _haste is his secret weapon?! That's unfair!_ She looked at the unconscious rogue and prayed she'd wake up by chance, _I jeopardized the both of us because I let my urges take over,_ she stretched her arms out behind her, _no way I refuse to lose, I got tricks up my sleeve too!_ She summoned her flames to wrap around her arms and used the explosive heat to propel her forward, she just barely managed to reach Sera in time and scrambled to lift her. She jumped in the air and wrapped her legs with the fire then burst upwards, sailing through the air and grinning when she managed to land on the tavern roof. _It still counts, after all we can't go_ _inside_ _the buildings but nobody ever said we can't go_ _on_ _the buildings._ She cackled with glee at everybody's slack-jawed expressions, "Know you can't win against me so you go after Sera instead huh Bull?" She grinned mischievously when the qunari's eye flashed dangerously, _well she'll be safe up here, and when she wakes up she'll have a nice view too._ She gently lowered the archer and unwrapped the two cloths she earned from the first match, her blood boiling with excitement at Bull's booming laughter.

"You're crazy Boss, all I need is just one shot to win. This is even easier now."

"You're the crazy one if you think that," Lavellan tucked the cloths under Sera's head then stood and cracked her knuckles. "Now you two have no choice but to fight me." _Dorian is there for support and haste, if I get him out first then Bull won't be a problem._ She stood at the edge of the roof and looked down, _the issue is how can I get to him without Bull getting to me first?_ She jumped down and just before she hit the ground she gave a little burst with the flames wrapped around her legs to land safely. _If I use fire to propel me I can reach him before he gets away, but the same second I pull his cloth is the same second Bull can get mine._ She noted how the qunari also had two extra cloths from his win, _it's smart of them to give it all to Bull, he's got better defense and moves fast even without haste._ She smirked at the first rule of the tournament, _anything goes. Magic is permitted._

Bull started charging towards her and she raised her fist in the air, colorful swirls of fire traveled along her skin. Once the qunari got closer she drove her fist in the ground and heat exploded around her, she grinned when thick dust flew up, _one way to play dirty right Sera?_ The smokescreen allowed her to wrap flames around her legs again and propelled her upwards, she sailed through undetected in the air and prepared herself for the landing, _this is way too fun!_ She negated the impact with another burst before she slammed into the ground and started sprinting for Dorian, the tevinter mage panicked and yelled for Bull. _You're mine!_ She dove and tackled the man then pulled off the cloth, he had no choice but to resign now and the qunari cursed.

"Shit Vint! You were my secret weapon!" Not taking any breaks the elven woman rushed and managed to catch him off guard, pulling one of the three cloths from his belt. Deftly flipping backwards and tossing Bull's cloth to the ground, she gestured with her hand in a 'come on' motion and grinned confidently.

"Come on Bull, I've always wanted to see which of us would win. No magic, just skill." Whereas the qunari held both speed and power, Ellana was more flexible and acrobatic. Any time he closed in she would swiftly jump away or flipped over him, taunting him when she'd use his shoulders or horns. _I've trained hard for this,_ she side-stepped and dove under his legs again, reaching around his waist and plucking the second cloth before hopping away from his reach. "You're going to pay for going after Sera, Bull."

"I shoulda known better than to piss you off," the two took turns in grabs and dodges as if they were dancing, only to be stopped when they heard someone frantically shouting. _What the…?_ Ellana blanched when she saw Sera waving her arms and cursing at the top of her lungs, Bull patted her shoulder sympathetically, "You know she's going to kill you Boss."

"Yep."

"Maybe you should go bring her down?"

"Is that a joke?" Lavellan casually plucked the qunari's last cloth then tied it to her belt, "I'll die for sure."

"You're just going to leave her up there?" Bull walked over to his abandoned second cloth and handed it over to the mage, "Shit well. Good luck with that. You fought damn fuckin' well, better hope winning the tourney will help you live."

"Yeah, thanks." The two shrugged nonchalantly and began to walk out of the ring, leaving the shrieking archer on the roof. _I'm going to make my last day alive the best day of my life._ The spectators roared with laughter and 'good lucks' as she sighed and reluctantly turned around to bring Sera down. She held out her arms, "Jump down! I'll catch you!"

"PISS OFF! I BET THIS IS YOUR FAULT!"

"Well, yeah, but-" she shielded her face with her forearm when the rogue launched a pebble at her, "Ow, that hurt!"

"Good!"

"I did it for your safety Sera! Bull was coming after you!"

"So you put me on a fuckin' roof?! Now nobody can come after me ye daft twat!"

"Yeah that was the plan," Lavellan paled at the heated look and the ominous aura that surrounded the archer, "You're **scary**."

"Shut up and get me down already!"

"Promise me you won't kill me first."

"Fuck. No. No promises."

"Then you're not coming down," Ellana smirked in victory and crossed her arms, she whirled around when the announcer called out their names. "Oh perfect timing! Sit tight Sera lemme ju-"

"GET ME DOWN FIRST!"

"Be back soon vhenan! Love you!"

" **ENA**!"

* * *

Throughout the matches Lavellan would occasionally be struck by a pebble at her head and noted the tender spot at the side of her temple where the archer repeatedly somehow struck. _Her aim is_ _really_ _good, where is she even getting all these pebbles?_ She was on a roll and now sported 7 cloths tied to her belt, she would have 9 if Sera wouldn't hog her trophies, _she's so mean._ Proud of her accomplishment, the tournament was proof that constant training along with wealth of experience from live battles helped her develop a naturally strategic mind for fighting. Her recklessness and impulsive tendencies to take random risks served as a great unpredictable tactic to catch her opponents off guard, and the praise she heard from the spectators fed her seemingly infinite energy.

 _Nobody_ _can take me down,_ she glanced at Sera and closed her one eye as the expected pebble hit it's target, _we're strongest together, unstoppable._ The number of participants reduced and soon it was down to just one ring, everybody was given a 15 minute break to rest up and grab some food. Ellana head to the edge of the tavern and looked up the wall, the archer's feet was dangling and she chucked another pebble. "Go away, I'm mad."

"Aw come on Sera~" Lavellan expanded her arms, "You didn't even want to participate," another pebble, "You got a great seat to enjoy the show!" Another pebble, "Quit throwing stuff at me!" Her temper flared and patience whittled down to nothing, _if she wanted down so badly she could have come_ _long_ _ago!_

"Go away!" The mage sighed, she had no other choice and wrapped flames around her legs then boosted herself higher when she jumped. She grabbed on to the edge and pulled herself up, sitting beside Sera who stared incredulously at her, "That's how you got us up here? You're fuckin' insane, you know that?"

"I'm well aware since everybody feels the need to tell me all the time," Ellana grumbled, "Are you going to come down now or do I have to force you?" She sighed when the rogue glared at her, "You know, if you really wanted down that badly, you could have jumped to the lower roof beside your room. And since you didn't, that's proof you didn't want to." Her suspicions were confirmed when she momentarily smelled a spike of guilt before it was smothered by anger but she wasn't sure who that anger was for. "All I wanted was for everybody to have fun, and to be by your side for the whole day." The two sat in silence until the announcer came back and notified break time was over, four teams were left and they watched the first round. _I wonder who our next opponent is? There are people I've never seen before that have gotten far._ She stole a glance from the corner of her eye and her eyebrows furrowed with worry at the mute archer, _if we keep arguing over stupid small things we'll never be able to talk about Valor._ Realization dawned on her and her head snapped towards Sera, _unless that's why…?_

Before she could ask the crowd roared and cheered, the round between the two teams she hadn't recognized was over and she was called to the ring. She stood and walked over to the half-roof then jumped down, stuffing her hands in her pockets as she strode to the center of the ring without enthusiasm. _Is it too much to ask for to have her by my side? For us to have fun together?_ Her stomach sank, _I even registered for the archery contest just so I could stand beside her, I have no idea how to shoot a bow._ Her heart faltered when she glanced over her shoulder, the rogue avoided her gaze and remained in her spot. _We were supposed to be the strongest duo..._ As her opponent entered the ring her eyes widened and her heart hammered with fear, _no way!_ Varric walked in with a large shit-eating grin and waved at her with his free hand.

The other held Nibbles.


	28. Satinalia

**Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!**

 **AN:** I'm really sorry for such a late update, on my manage stories list Fanfiction showed this chapter had been posted but when I went through the links to double-check, the chapter wasn't up for some reason :S Updates will also be a little bit slower because I've started a second job last week, and I also have a second story up and running called **_Fen'myal_** _._ If this story is a little slow on the update and you're interested in a character that's relatively the opposite to Ena along with a couple of additions (magic-wise), there's that option as well :). I'm also slowly working on a third character every now and then (I know, I know, I need to park my ass down and focus on one story but my mind won't settle until I write the ideas down) so stay tuned for that.

Now if you haven't heard of Blue Man's Group or never seen their show I recommend looking up their 'Paint Drumming' on youtube. When you see the part in the chapter where the drummers have their hands on fire type of thing, that's generally what I had in mind-the paint drumming except instead of paint it's fire :) As for the music/drum song it took me a while to find a good epic fast paced one that was mostly drums without instruments that probably wouldn't exist in the DA universe. Luckily, I did, and got hooked on it immediately! It's linked in my profile as "Heavy Tribal Drum Battle". There are a couple things like 'clashing' sounds which is where the swords come in (not entirely sure if they'd have even old school cymbals that people would just bang with together) with the "show" along with the war horn like for the sound that pops in at 0:05 of the song in case if you were wondering what the hell I mean with what I wrote. The song's an optional add of course, just something I thought would be cool to include :)

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _Ma nuvenin:_ As you wish

 _'_ _Ma vhenan:_ My heart

 _Mah veh none are a:_ Sera's attempt at 'Ma vhenan'ara, "My heart's desire"

* * *

 **Satinalia**

* * *

"No..." Ellana fell to her knees, "Why?" Her heart threatened to break as she tearfully looked at Nibbles happily squeaking and running in circles. "How could you do this Varric?! I have never met anyone more evil than you!" The dwarf stood with his hands on his hips as he laughed out loud, " **EVIL**!"

"Now, now that hurts my feelings! Your flyer did say anybody was allowed to join. If anything you should be proud Nibbles has made it this far!" The nug snorted and then balanced on it's hind legs, showing off all the colorful cloths tightly wrapped around it's body.

"Are you fucking serious?!" Sera shouted in the distance, "Ena get me down right now! I have a score to settle with Food!"

"It's hopeless," Lavellan muttered, "I can't… I can't fight Nibbles."

"What?! This is what you say 'I can't' to, you've gotta be shittin' me!"

"But it's Nibbles! I can't hurt him, I promised- **we** promised-that we'd protect him!"

"Fuck sake!" Sera huffed as she ran down to the half-roof and jumped down, rushing over to the mage's side and glaring at her, "I'll handle him then. You get Varric."

"Wait Sera!" The announced dropped his arm signaling the round to start and the spectators roared as Sera charged straight for the nug, "You can't!"

"I **can** and I **will**!" Sera dove but instead hugged the ground, she spat out the dirt that flew into her mouth and hastily scrambled back up to chase the nug around the battle-field. _Sera's becomes my fire when mine dies out, she's fighting hard and won't give up._ Ellana slammed her fist in her palm and glared at the smug dwarf. _This is why we're the strongest duo!_

"I'll blow you away Varric! One way or another!" Lavellan began sprinting and extended her arms behind her, setting her fists ablaze and propelling forward with bursts of explosive force. Just before she could swipe at the dwarf he ducked and she tripped over him, feeling a few tugs on her belt. "Fenedhis!" She broke her fall and dug her palm into the ground, flipping and gracefully landing on her feet.

"ENA IF HE KICKS YER ARSE I AIN'T WINNING THE FOOD IN THE ARCHERY CONTEST!"

"What?!" Ellana stared wide-eyed and her jaw dropped as the archer continued chasing the nug, "You can't do that!" _Dammit!_ Her head snapped angrily at Varric, "You're **mine**!" She rose her flaming fist and slammed it into the ground, using the dirt as a smokescreen as she cloaked her  entire body in fire. _One hit victory,_ she knelt and rested her hands along the ground, raising her rear-end in the air as she channeled her magic, "Charge!" The flames shot her forward and she grinned when Varric's face contorted into one of fear and panic, she extinguished the fire just before she tackled him and quickly ripped all the cloths off. She stood and rose her arms in the air with her new trophies, the crowd roaring with delight as she grinned childishly and whooped loudly.

"All that," Varric chuckled, "For food?"

Ellana added her new trophies to her belt and extended her hand to help the dwarf up, "I'm really hungry." The two looked at Sera and Nibbles still running around the field and then back at each other, "Want to go grab something?"

"Sure why not?" As they left the ring the archer shouted 'traitor' among other threats and Lavellan shrugged.

"I can't fight Nibbles, you said you've got it. I've held up my end. Have fun you two!"

* * *

As expected after half an hour of a grueling and incredibly close match, Sera won by pure luck when she had pulled Nibble's cloth one second sooner than he was able to tug at hers. She crossed her arms and refused to reciprocate the searing lips currently threatening to blanket her mind in a haze of desire. She muffled against Ellana's mouth, "No."

"C'mon Sera~" the inferno mage pulled her closer by the hips and grinned when she ghosted light kisses along Sera's jaw bone, "I love you?" _Fuckin' airhead seriously thinks this is all she needs to do?_

"Yeah I'm real convinced," Sera chuckled when the warm fingers snuck under her shirt and lightly tickled her waist, "Stop that."

"No. Make me."

"I ain't forgivin' you for ditchin' me no matter what ya do."

"I was hungry!"

"Yer always hungry dammit! If you just helped me at least corner Food I wouldn't have needed to bust my arse for that long!" The archer looked down at the mud-caked clothes, "Not the kinda dirty I like either." The announcer called up their names and Sera grumbled, "Already?"

"I can handle this. I'll take both of them at once," Ellana grinned childishly and the amber specks danced with excitement, "One more round and we win," she shifted towards the ring and glanced back in confusion when she was stopped, the rogue tugged on her wrist.

"Wait for me daft tit," Sera smirked, "We're the strongest duo, right?"

"Aren't you tired?"

"Nah, gonna needa more than some nug to take me down. Anyways didn't the people we watch have a dwarf or somethin'? Should be easy if I take and distract 'em with my flask."

"Nope! A kid!" Ellana slammed her fist in her palm, "Can't believe I didn't recognize them when we watched, but now I'm fired up!" _She wants to fight a_ _kid_ _?_

"What? It's a fuckin' kid you bloody weirdo. You should be goin' easy on 'im instead."

"A fight's a fight! I wouldn't want him to go easy on me either."

"He's a friggin' kid he wouldn't anyways!"

"Sera," Lavellan turned to her with a surprisingly serious expression, "If there's anything I've learned from my clan, it's to not underestimate children." She patted the archer's shoulder, "He signed up for war, I'm going to give him the respect he deserves especially for coming this far." The inferno mage jogged off to the center of the ring where their two opponents waited for them, an excited child and a particularly unhappy looking mother. Sera sighed as she followed, _this is seriously fucked up, well one more round and that's it,_ her eyes narrowed as she got closer.

 _Wait a second… Is that… The chick from the winter palace?_ She tentatively sniffed the air and her stomach churned, _what the fuck? It is her, why the hell would she be doing this? And the kid,_ she tilted her head to get a better look while Ellana knelt down and shook the young boy's hand, _he's hers?_ "Just so you know," the elven woman grinned childishly, "I'm going to give you my all Kieran." _She knows him?_

"Mother said I have to be careful with you," the young man's lips curled into a subtle smile, "I think you need to be careful."

"Hah! I like how you think," she flexed her hand into a fist and conjured small flames along her knuckles, "Let's have the best battle ever Kieran, and you too," she looked up at the displeased raven-haired woman, "Morrigan." The woman merely sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, _ohh now I get it._ Sera walked over and patted her shoulder reassuringly, also sighing with her, _poor lady got roped into this too._

"Trust me," the rogue nodded, "I know how it feels."

"T'is ridiculous, this is. Let us get on with it already." They gave each other the allotted space and waited for the announcer to signal start, Sera glanced worriedly when the elven mage got down on her hands and rose her bum in the air, _she's seriously gonna do the same shit with Varric?! On a kid?!_ Her head whipped to Morrigan, _she's a mage too right? She'll know how to stop Ena from being an idiot then._ As soon as the announcer dropped his arm Ellana began charging at Kieran… Without fire. Sera stood dumbfounded as she watched her run on her hands and feet like a dog then leaped over the young man, dancing around and dodging Kieran's attempts at swiping the cloth. _What th- she's just playing like normal with him. Didn't she just say…?_

"I did not expect the Inquisitor to actually fight with Kieran on equal ground," Morrigan stated calmly as she casually stood beside the rogue and pulled the cloths from her belt. _Uh, what?_

"But she's not using her fire." Sera looked down and shrugged, _Ena'll have fun duking it out with this weirdo._

"Oh that?" The raven-haired woman smirked, "I've dispelled any attempts she's made at gathering magic. I won't allow any harm come to my son," she crossed her arms, "Kieran was looking forward to fighting with the Inquisitor."

"What?! Is he insane?!"

Morrigan chuckled, "Because everybody else treated him like a child. My son is smart, he knows people went easy on him on purpose. But she..." They looked on as Lavellan shouted irritatedly when the young man managed to swipe one of the three cloths, "She gets down to his eye level," _pretty sure she's just having fun playin' leap frog is all_ , "She treats him with respect." _Isn't she just excited she's fighting?_ _This lady's nuts thinkin' if Ena's doin' this on purpose._ The inferno mage dug her palms into the ground as she flipped back, grinning like a madwoman and cackling evilly as Kieran protested to her deftly plucking a cloth of his own. Eventually they were both down to one and Sera stole a side-glance at Morrigan, _she really don't seem like a mom, but she looks proud of the little fella._

"Hey, so why'd you take my cloths? Wouldn't it have been better if your boy got 'em?"

"Don't be foolish," the raven haired let out a half-chuckle, "Even if the Inquisitor was disqualified she wouldn't just stand and watch."

"Oh yeah, good point, better when she's not lookin'. If she asks tell her I tripped or somethin'."

"Duly noted. You are aware that she has been glancing over at us though yes? She's listening to our conversation." _Oh fuck she's right…_

"Well. Shit." _Was hopin' she was too far gone and excited._ Her heart faltered and shoulders slumped, _so that spirit thing helps her keep her head when she's fighting or somethin'?_ Her head tilted in confusion when she heard the elven woman mutter something with a smirk tugging along one side of her mouth. _What? I thought she said-_ her eyes widened when Lavellan flipped back again, but when her palms dug into the ground she yelped and instead crashed on to the ground. "Ena!"

"Fenedhis," Ellana scrambled to her feet and pulled out the jagged rock that sank into her palm, "Ow! Damn that hurts..." Kieran stood and watched both confused and concerned as the inferno mage pushed her thumb against the gash for pressure, Morrigan sighed and walked towards the two.

"Give me your hand Inquisitor, I know a little bit about healing," she stood dumbfounded when the inferno mage instead slid her thumb along the cut and cauterized it shut, she turned and grinned at the young man.

"Thanks for waiting Kieran! Let's go again!" The two resumed their battle as if nothing ever happened and Morrigan looked at Sera who simply shrugged and smirked, _same shit different day._ She kept close watch on the witch that seemed to observe Ellana intently, her golden eyes trained on the bundle of energy dancing around the field. _The heck's her deal?_ The archer's stomach twisted, _watchin' like she's got a thing for Ena, better not if she knows what's good for her._ Her head snapped to the elven woman, "It's **my** win Kieran!" Lavellan took a running jump and as she flipped over the young man she rested her palms on his shoulders to direct where she'd land. Even as he turned, she was able to drop down behind him but before she could wrap her arm his waist to pull his cloth from his belt, she froze when one was shoved in her face. "Huh?"

"I win," Kieran calmly stated, "When you jumped over me," his eyes bounced with subtle joy and pride. The spectators roared and cheered while the announcer shouted the winner of the match, he jumped down the scaffolding and rose Kieran's arm while Ellana stood slack jawed. _Sucker, didn't she think her cloth would be whapping his face when she jumped over him like that. Little bugger's got good reflexes that's for sure._ Sera walked towards the inferno mage, _she's a shit liar though,_ she patted Lavellan's rear-end as she brushed past, she glanced over and grinned when the heated amber specks fell on hers. _She's gonna need to blow off some steam,_ she made way towards the tavern and smirked smugly when she could smell the ashy wood scent rush after hers. As soon as she made way up the stairs and walked inside her room, she turned around and wasn't at all surprised to be spun and pressed against the wall.

"All that talk just to lose on purpose anyways," Sera smirked then glanced to the side and kicked her door closed, "Got a soft spot for kids too huh?"

"Shut up," both their eyes danced with mischief and amusement, "I owe you for Nibbles. What would you," Ellana licked her lips and the two grinned provocatively as their hooded eyes clouded with desire, "Have me do?"

"That's a serious question?" The archer tilted her head to give Lavellan access to her neck, she sighed in content when she felt a thigh nestle in between her legs and warm lips splay along her throat, "How much time till yer stupid contest?"

"They need to clean up the courtyard to set it up," Ellana spoke in between heated kisses, "Won't take them long."

"What are you waiting for then? Get to work."

"Ma nuvenin," Ellana chuckled huskily as she pulled off the archer's shirt, her valiant effort to be slow and gentle lasted all but a few seconds before the overwhelming urges took over. She brought her leg up higher and growled approvingly when she could feel heat soak through Sera's leggings, the rogue's wrists pinned beside her head while Lavellan trailed her kisses on the inner side of her biceps. "I signed up too," _what?_ "For the archery contest and-" the mage tilted her head in confusion when Sera bellowed out in gleeful laughter. _Does she think she'll be shooting fireballs?_

"F-fuck, holy fuck," the archer wheezed as she tried to calm down, the sudden movement from laughing had sparks tingling along her spine when she unintentionally pressed down on and rocked against the thigh. _Ribs dying,_ a flash of white blinded her when another surge shot through, "Why would you-" she moaned against the searing mouth clamped over hers, the possessive growl made her smirk in the kiss. _No point talkin', she's losing it._ She arched towards the elven woman and head lulled back along the wall as the sparks hummed and plucked every nerve. Her eyes fluttered shut and she groaned as the warm lips blazed along her collar bone, leaving a trail of fire in their wake as they trailed lower. The pressure was relieved from her wrists and instead the mage's hands ghosted along and settled just below her rear end, as soon as she was lifted she hooked her legs around Ellana's hips and groaned at the friction. She was pressed into the wall and chuckled before it was replaced with a guttural moan, _she tryin' to merge us together or somethin'? Squishing me._ She gritted her teeth at the mixture of pain and pleasure, every sense assaulted when canines dragged across her shoulder and hands roughly squeezing her breasts. "Ena," Sera murmured in between gasps and moans, "It yer mission to cover me with bruises?"

No response, _how the fuck does she do that? Just gone,_ hands frantically covering every inch of creamy skin, the temperature in the room skyrocketed and the dizzying heat made it difficult to breathe. _Happens every time,_ Sera felt lightheaded, the canines and tongue alone was enough to drive her insane and every time she subconsciously bucked her hips she groaned at the shivers and flames coursing through her veins. Consuming passion, the wildfire before her always pushed her to her limits of control and how much she could handle, her mind was blanketed by the drunken haze of desire and love. "Sera," Ellana whispered in her ear then smoothed her mouth over and kissed her with fervor and possessiveness the archer herself had been surprised with. Their tongues waged war for dominance and Sera decided to test the inferno mage's control herself. She tugged at Lavellan's shirt and leaned her hips away until she could roll it up and sneak her hands underneath, raking her nails across the mage's back. "Rougher," _she's into some really fucking kinky shit,_ Sera hands traveled up higher and Ellana pushed closer to her, _jeez Ena there's no more fuckin' room._ She dug her nails and scratched across the mage's shoulder blades then latched on to the junction of her neck and shoulder with her canines. Her own mind threatened to be lost to madness and sanity when Lavellan's growls gradually grew more feral and urgent, she retracted her teeth and glanced down when she could feel localized heat enveloping her breast. _What the fuck?!_

"Ena put that shit out!" Sera's heart constricted with anxiety and her eyes widened when the mage chuckled huskily, _what the hell is she doing!?_ The top of Ellana's hand had small fire dancing and lashing out, and judging by the intense warmth the elven woman was sending little bursts of heat through her. Oddly enough it didn't burn, but… "Ena!" _This is seriously fucked up!_ She tried to push the mage away in an attempt to bring her out of her trance, gritting her teeth when Lavellan pushed her hips forward to grind against her core. Her eyes rolled back when the mage pushed her jaw away with her nose and latched on to the thundering pulse of her neck, sucking greedily as one hand traveled down and disappeared in the leggings.

The mixture of fear and pleasure was messing with Sera's mind and it had gotten even harder to breathe, everything gradually grew fuzzy and blurry. Her hips instinctively bucked when she felt a thumb press against the swollen and sensitive bud, _that's got to hurt her fuckin' wrist, awkward position for her,_ Sera's eyebrows knitted together as another surge of white-hot pleasure rolled through. Her muscles shuddered uncontrollably as the pressure rapidly rose and the coil wound tighter, the slick heat pooled between her thighs had become unbearable. "Inside," the archer whispered, "Inside me Ena," surprisingly the mage complied and Sera realized it wasn't that she was completely gone and couldn't hear… _She's ignoring me?! That bitch!_ Ellana adjusted and rotated her wrist, she leaned her hips away to give a little bit more room while the rogue loosened her hold, allowing the fingers to slip past the slick folds and disappear in the velvet heat.

They heard the announcements for the archery contest, _fuck sake why's this always gotta happen to us?_ "Five minutes," Lavellan whispered, _oh fuck no. Not this shit again,_ Sera's mouth parted as she cursed her proclamations to the ceiling, the inferno mage grinned wolfishly and all Sera could see even with closed eyes were the amber specks glowing brightly as the fire swirled within them. "You belong to me," Ellana whispered directly in her ear, " **Mine**." _So fuckin' possessive, worse than me,_ she gritted her teeth as the fingers were forced in and roughly pulled out, groaning weakly when pleasurable sparks shot through her despite the stinging pain.

The flashes that consumed all thoughts and made her mind blank out happened more frequently and the rising pressure had become too much, she dug her nails in Ellana's shoulders and held on for her dear life as she climaxed. She vaguely heard the growls in her ear as she screamed the mage's name, her hips bucked as she rode out the waves, her orgasm prolonged with the scorching fingers still thrusting deep inside her. Her heart hammered erratically when she noticed the intense heat inside, _swear to fuckin'… If she's burnin' up inside I'm killing her._ Her chest heaved and her head lulled side to side, sweat cloaked her skin and her nerves buzzed happily in the afterglow. She could feel Lavellan ease out of her and her drenched core made the leggings incredibly uncomfortable, her eyes fluttered and tried to focus on the elven woman's unwavering gaze. Hands slid under her rear-end and her legs slackened instantly, relieved they didn't have to hold on anymore. Husky chuckles resonated along her veins and the vibration actually irritated her, _the fuck is she laughing for? She's gonna literally fuck me to death one of these days,_ "Tired?"

"Fuck you," Sera whispered breathlessly as she took large gulps of air to sate her oxygen-starved lungs, grateful when the temperature in the room gradually dropped. "Put me down, needa sleep."

"You can't," Ellana replied with a wolfish grin, her voice heavily laced with pride and amusement, "The archery contest is starting soon."

"No way, ain't no way I can friggin' shoot," the archer's mind was covered by the heavy blanket of drowsiness and she felt something nestle against her core again, "Again…?" She glanced down to see Lavellan's thigh balancing her, one hand on her hip as the mage reached down for the abandoned shirt. "You're joking."

"Nope," Ellana plucked the shirt, "Arms up. I want my free food, and I want to shoot with you."

"Fuck sake," Sera rose her arms and grumbled as the mage worked the shirt on her, "Yer so fuckin' demanding."

"And I want you to teach me how to shoot too~" Lavellan laughed when the rogue stared incredulously at her, "Alright, alright I won't push it. Want a piggy-back ride?"

"Lemme try walkin' first, see how screwed I am then," _literally too. Shit,_ Sera was slowly lowered and her thighs were still quivering, a dull throb periodically drew her attention to her slick core and reminded her just how annoying it was to have her leggings cling on to her. "No idea how the fuck I'm s'posto shoot like this," she grumbled irritatedly and glanced over her shoulder at the hyper mage following her, "Yer fuckin' excited as shit. Fuck," she raked her hand through her hair, "I'll try Ena, but no promises of me actually winning this thing."

"That's okay, there's other free food right here anyways."

"I ain't food! And I ain't fuckin' free either!" Sera glared warningly when the carefree mage clasped her hands behind her head and laughed, her lips curled into a subtle smirk and she huffed, "Jeez..." _Only she could fuck,_ she noticed the shy glances from the others in tavern as they descended the stairs and made their way out, _and still be Ena. Everybody heard that,_ her lopsided grin plastered on her face, _she doesn't care who sees, hears, or knows about us._ As they made way down to the new ring where targets were set up at 20, 40, 60 and 100 yards, she looked behind her and chuckled at the obvious excitement dancing on the mage's features. "C'mere Ena," she grasped her wrist, "I'll give you a few quick pointers." They wove through the participants in the holding area and glanced over every now and then to watch the soldiers step up and try their hand at the targets. _Seriously? 100 is the farthest? This'll be a piece of cake._ Her eyebrows knitted in confusion when the majority of the participants only hit the 20 and 40, a few got the 60 but nobody could get the 100. _Are they new at this or what? Maybe the bow and arrows are cheap shit._ "Alright," she took one of the bows from the table and tested out the string for herself, _don't get it, should be able to hit 100 with this._ She handed it to Ellana, "First I'll-" she stared dead-pan as the mage ignored her and tried to pull the string herself. "You'll hurt your-"

"Ow!"

"Exactly, ye daft tit!" Sera grabbed the bow from her, "Listen to me will ya?" She sighed at the woman's guilty smile as she rubbed the back of her neck, "Watch real close, I'll show you how it's done first alright?" Lavellan nodded, "Better yet, pick up a spare bow and stand beside me so you can copy me." The mage complied and gazed intently, Sera's stomach churned pleasantly at the heated stare and looked away, _turned on just from how she looks at me? Seriously?_ She adjusted her feet to shoulder width and shrugged her shoulders in small circles to warm them up then relaxed. "Don't lock yer elbow, keep it bent and limber." Bitterness welled up within her but she squashed the rising feelings down as she repeated the same words told to her long ago, "When you pull the string back, let your shoulders do all the work and bring your shoulder blades together." She chewed on her lip as her temper flared but she shook her head and pulled on the string to demonstrate for the mage then looked over. "Don't use your arms Ena, think of touchin' your shoulder blades together," _why's she look like she's in pain?_ Sera watched with concern until realization dawned on her and the ache between her legs throbbed stronger, _I scratched the shit outta her shoulders. Shit…_ She didn't bother saying anything knowing that the woman would simply be even more stubborn and end up doing more damage than need be.

"You **don't** wanna hold the draw for more than four seconds else yer muscles gonna be bitchin' at ya, and yer shot'll be fucked." She released the string and reached over for the quiver of arrows on the table then pulled two out, she handed one to Lavellan when she eased on the string. The mage had been surprisingly compliant and silent, _I was expectin' to play twenty questions instead of actually teachin' her too. This what she's like when she trains with everybody else?_ She handed one arrow over and stepped closer then turned the opposite way, "Watch my fingers real close alright?" She drew the string and nocked the arrow with natural precision, it was aligned and ready to be shot within two seconds but she held on for Ellana to inspect her grip. _Pinch grip'll be easier to do, but this way she'll be more accurate,_ "You only use the three fingers and keep yer thumb and pinkie outta the way, see where the tail end of the arrow is resting?"

"In between your index and middle finger," the mage noted and nodded, "Your pinkie is pointing outwards though, why?"

"You want your elbow pointing away from the string, and you want to bring your shoulder blades all the way back but keep yer shoulders relaxed and down."

"The jaw," Lavellan tilted her head, "Your first finger is curled under your jaw," _didn't expect her to pay this much attention._ The mage moved behind her, _the hell is she doing?_ Her shoulders were starting to ache from sustaining the position for so long, she gritted her teeth, _shit she needs to hurry up._ "Wow..."

"Oi, Ena. I'm teachin' you, not standing here lookin' pretty," Sera eased on the string and relaxed her muscles, "Anyways... Try it out but keep yer arrow pointed at the tree in case you let loose by accident." She laid her bow and arrow on the table then stepped behind the mage, "I'll fix ya up while you aim." She rolled up Ellana's sleeves and cussed inwardly, _shoulda brought my finger-tabs and arm-guard for her to borrow, ah well._ "Alright show me how it's done luv." She remained close and peered through the side of the elven woman's neck as she situated the arrow between her fingers and pulled on the string, "Back straighter Ena." Her eyes honed in on Lavellan's shoulders when they tensed, _fuck I'm probly makin' it worse by breathing there,_ she tilted her mouth away, "Shoulders lower, relax 'em. When you release let go with yer fingers only and try to keep everything else still." _She's shaking._ "Let go, Ena." Ellana cursed under her breath when she slackened her fingers, the arrow shot forth but veered way off and didn't even hit the tree. _Shit, she'll be lucky if she hits the 20._ "Takes practice luv, trust me I-" she was stopped abruptly when the announced called Ellana up, her heart squeezed painfully when she finished her thought. _Got lots of friends killed coz I sucked shite at shootin' too, 'til I did nothin' but practice._

"Thanks for training me Sera," Lavellan snapped her out of her reverie and grinned radiantly, "I won't let you down again!" _Again?_ The mage jogged off towards the ring and Sera wove through the crowd, _what did she mean?_

"Inquisitor?" Leliana watched from the side of the ring to judge the shots, "Have you… Ever even shot before?"

"Nope! Well Sera just showed me how a couple of seconds ago," her canines glinted like fire as the sun set, her lopsided grin spread along her face was contagious. Sera looked around when the others snickered, her eyebrows furrowed when she heard a couple of low teases, _Ena'll kick all yer asses._

"In that case, why doesn't Sera assist you?" _Huh?_ Leliana smiled, "Archery is rather complicated and there are a lot of steps to remember, how about she helps you with the aiming?" _Even if I did that she'll still miss._ "Unless," the spymaster looked at Sera, "You don't want to?" The archer shrugged and made way towards Lavellan.

"I don't see why not," Sera's heart swelled at the mage's obvious excitement dancing in her eyes, she chuckled and smirked, "C'mon weirdo, let's show 'em how it's done yeah?"

"Yeah!" Ellana looked at her feet and adjusted to stand precisely as how the archer instructed her, they both grinned when they heard the whispers of the soldiers joking, "I won't hit the 20."

"Wh-luv you gotta have con-"

"I'll hit the 100!" _Okay that's too much fuckin' confidence._ The spectators erupted in a fit of giggles and Sera glared at them, _Ena don't get they teasing her. These fuckin' arseholes can't shoot worth fuck all and that's what they do for a friggin' living._ Spurred on by the urge to shove it in their faces and get revenge, Sera stepped directly behind the mage and nitpicked on her posture, hands smoothing out and fixing everything until Ellana stepped just right.

"Straighter Ena," the archer gently grasped her shoulders and pushed in with her thumbs, "Lower shoulders, relax 'em."

"It's hard to," Lavellan whispered, "It-"

"Hurts I know. Sorry 'bout that," Sera tucked one foot in between Lavellan's legs and pressed against her back as she reached over, "Fix yer grip, have your pinkie face out a little more, 'bout a 45 angle. Index above the nock and the other two below." She stepped back and off to the side then nodded, "I think yer ready. Whenever you are luv, remember we got four seconds. Focus on the draw and I'll adjust your aim," _can she even hit the 20 even if I help?_

"Alright," Ellana nodded and grinned confidently, "Let's show 'em what the strongest duo can do." _Something 'bout her always gives me hope,_ Sera mirrored her grin then prepared to jump in and look over her shoulder to adjust the aim, _if anyone can do the impossible, it's Ena._ As soon as the elven woman anchored the arrow and drew the string, Sera peered from under her jaw bone and gently guided her arm accordingly.

"Release," the twang of the bowstring echoed in the air as everyone held their breaths, Lavellan whooped loudly as the arrow sank in at the 40 yard target. "Fuck yeah!" Sera cheered with her and glanced over her shoulders, "Most of you fuckin' sobs had trouble hitting even that!" _If I hear another diss 'bout Ena I'll stripe these arseholes up and prank 'em for the whole week._ "Good job luv," she chuckled when the mage eagerly glanced over her shoulder, joy and pride dancing in her smoldering coal eyes glowing with the amber. _She's so happy,_ Sera's eyebrows rose in surprise when Ellana rotated her torso and gave her a brief yet passionate kiss. _She really don't care who watches,_ she patted the mage's rear-end and smirked when she heard a couple of rude whispers, _just jealous arseholes._ "C'mon, let's try for the 60."

"100," _shit she's really serious 'bout it,_ Sera sighed.

"I'd hafta hit that myself to judge the distance with this bow luv, I dunno if we can get it 'til I try." Leliana walked towards the two, _the heck is she doing?_ She had a spare bow and set of arrows then held it out.

"Uh, thanks?" Sera grabbed the bow and arrow then shrugged, _alright then._ Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion when the soldiers muttered about the impossible shot, _maybe they mean Ena? Once I figure it out she'll get it._ She rotated her shoulders to warm them up then relaxed, she anchored the arrow and drew the string then released all in two seconds. The familiar sound of the string snapping and the feeling as she controlled the recoil always set her at ease, shooting was second nature to her now. Her arrow naturally found the 100 yard target and she handed the bow back to Leliana who had a coy smirk on her face, _the heck she lookin' at me like that for? Whatever,_ she looked at the mage, "Alright Ena set yerself up I got a taste for it." _Why the hell is she lookin' at me like that for too? The fuck?_ The courtyard had been dead silent save for the birds chirping and Nibbles squeaking somewhere. Sera angrily glared in the direction of where she heard the nug and muttered, "Distract Ena and I'll kill you Food."

"T-that was..." The archer looked back at Lavellan with confusion, _huh?_ "THAT WAS AWESOME!" The crowd suddenly roared and Sera stared slack jawed, _what the fuck? I'm so lost._ "LET'S DO THIS SERA!" Ellana jumped up and down excitedly, "You were so cool!" She tried to calm herself down and Sera chuckled, _100 yards is no big deal, gimme a longbow and I'll make it fly way farther._ Before the mage drew the string Sera pushed her arm back down and grinned.

"Gotta move where your fingers'll rest on the string, calm yer tits down or else you won't hit the 100. Even the slightest change is gonna make the biggest difference so **pay close attention** alright?" Lavellan nodded eagerly, _is she really gonna be able to calm down?_ Sera showed her where to place her fingers near the nock and instructed a test draw without an arrow just so the mage knew what to expect, she would have to focus on composure and breathing while Sera aimed for her. Whispers among the crowd indicated people actually had faith rather than teasing the Inquisitor now, _much better. Arseholes,_ though she ignored some of the disgruntled archers mocking  her instead, she stood behind the mage and nodded. "Alright, ready?"

"Always, with you."

"I'll bet yeah," Sera chuckled quietly, _still saying shite that could be taken differently,_ she stepped off to the side then sprang into action as soon as Ellana anchored and drew. The archer closed her eye and tilted her head, _here goes nothing,_ she guided Lavellan's forearm higher as quickly yet smoothly as she could, "Release." The arrow shot off and sailed through the air, even Sera held her breath and was nervous with anticipation. _Holy shit…!_ Her jaw dropped and her heart hammered erratically as the spectators roared, whooping and whistling when the arrow  actually sank in the 100 yard target. It was a close call considering it hit right at the edge, but nonetheless it was an impressive feat for Ellana. She abandoned the bow and rose her arms as she jumped up and down in excitement, shouting and cheering with everybody else.

"The strongest duo in fucking action!" Lavellan shouted, she grabbed her arm at the elbow and fire cloaked her forearm, she directed the magical energy and shot it up in the air before it exploded in tiny little fireworks, "YEAH!" Sera couldn't help but laugh at her vigorous energy, _yer so friggin' weird,_ her lips spread in a radiant grin as she watched the elven woman bounce around. The triumphant moment was short lived and extinguished immediately when Leliana spoke up though.

"Well we have a tie now." _Aw crap._ Sera's heart faltered, _she's gonna be sad she didn't win nothin' today, but she's gonna get pissed if I miss coz she'll know I went easy on her._ She glared at the spymaster, _the hell did you havta mention it for? The prize is for Ena anyways._

"Alright Sera! Let's shoot!" _You can't do it on yer own ye daft tit, you won't even hit the 20._ Reluctantly taking the bow from the spymaster, Sera nodded and adjusted her position. She glanced over in confusion when Ellana inched closer to her, _the heck is she doing?_ "This is what I really wanted to do," the mage turned her head and grinned, "I wanted to shoot beside you. Anyways you better win me lots of food." _That's…_ Sera chuckled and nodded, _I shoulda known._ She grinned when she drew the string, the elven woman followed her and the two shot in complete synchrony. As expected Sera's arrow naturally found the 100 yard mark again, she glanced over at the dejected mage when she sighed and kicked at a pebble. _Huh?_ She scanned the field, _she didn't hit the 20, but where the hell_ _did_ _her arrow go?_

"I got too excited..." Ellana mumbled, "I think it flew on the battlements..."

" **W-WHAT**?! How the fuck is that even possible, were you aiming at the fuckin' sky?!" The crowd erupted in laughter and the mage sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck as Sera gaped at her with her jaw dropped, _this daft tit,_ Lavellan turned towards her and grinned as if nothing ever happened.

"Thanks for the best day of my life, 'ma vhenan." The mage spun on her heel and cheered loudly as she fist pumped in the air, "LET'S GET READY TO PARTY! GO HARD OR GO HOME!" Everybody roared with excitement and immediately got to work to clear up the courtyard and set up for the performance. Ellana jogged over to the archer and slid her hands behind her neck then possessively kissed Sera with every ounce of strength and passion. Her amber specks glowed brightly as she grinned childishly, "Hope you enjoy the show, see you soon." As she ran off the rogue watched her, not really knowing what to say. Her hand rose and her fingers smoothed along her lips, _idiot, you got it all wrong as usual,_ she smiled softly.

 _ **You**_ _gave_ _ **me**_ _the best day._

* * *

"Are you ready?!" Lavellan's grin spread across her face as the crowd cheered, "LIGHTS OUT!" The lanterns were extinguished, darkness fell upon the courtyard with only the stars serving as light. "IT'S TIME," she shouted as loudly as she could, "TO BE BLOWN AWAY!" _Pfft, so cheesy luv, so like you._ Suddenly at the center of the courtyard explosive flames erupted to life and crackled as it chewed on the large logs, Ellana's face lit up as she grinned wildly. "Tonight, we remember everybody who has sacrificed their lives, their blood and sweat and tears," she looked left and right as all the soldiers situated themselves at the drums. The group stood on scaffolding and formed a half circle around the large bonfire in the center of the courtyard, with more soldiers who remained on the ground and surrounded the fire yet had no instruments. Sera kept bugging Bull until he hoisted her up on his shoulders to get a better view as they watched from the stairs leading into the Skyhold hall, _where is she anyways? I figured she'd be in the center of all this,_ her eyes scanned the dark figures the fire had just barely illuminated, _they're too far from the fire._ "We celebrate in honor of that, and in joy that we ourselves still live to fight!"

"Oi Bull, can you see her? I can't find her."

"Dunno," the qunari shrugged, "Honestly thought the Boss would just set herself on fire and be the one in the middle of that bonfire." _Oh didn't think 'bout that, something she'd do too._ The two peered closely at the bonfire, "Don't look like she's in there though."

"Nope..."

"As Inquisitor," Ena shouted, "I have one order for everybody tonight and you will be punished by death if you don't follow it!" _WHAT!? Is she-_ "PARTY LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!" _...Fucking serious?_ The crowd roared and cheered, "Enjoy the show!" Sera continued to scan the line of drummers and increasingly grew frustrated, _this daft tit better not be thinking of setting us on fire I swear!_ Suddenly the drums came to life and the war horn gradually grew louder, the soldiers closest to the bonfire had begun to move and unsheathed their swords. _What the hell is happening?!_ The soldiers clashed their swords twice and shuffled in a series of pattern around the fire, occasionally striking their swords when the war horn had blown.

" **This** is what the Boss came up with?" Bull shouted, "Good on her!" The bonfire itself had gradually grown higher and higher, and the crowd panicked when the drum tops had actually  ignited on fire as the drummers beat down.

"Ena!" Sera's eyes widened in fear as the drummers rose their hands and then only a couple of drums could be heard, she followed the direction of the sound and saw Lavellan beat down on hers with fire sparking at each slap and a wild grin on her face. _Of course, who else would be grinning like an idiot in front of a damn fire?! She's getting too excited!_ Her jaw slackened when the fire on the drum tops lashed out and the drummers joined back in, "What the fuck, are they all insane?! They're gonna get burned!" Each drummer had alternating colors of either yellow, orange or red and the flames danced with their hands like little firecrackers. She shook when the qunari below her had bellowed out in laughter, "Bull this isn't-"

"Relax Sera! Take a close look at how much the Boss is sweating, it's all her fire. She's makin' sure it won't harm 'em, that's pretty fucking crazy." _What?_ Her eyes narrowed on the mage sandwiched in between two other drummers that also had djembes like hers, _why did she bury herself where nobody can see her though?_ Ellana rose one fist in the air as she tapped on her drum with her fingers, chaotic swirls of flame twirled around her arm and the mage grinned when she made a peace sign. The fire shot off the two fingers and into the sky, exploding and crackling loudly like fireworks as the mage cheered and laughed excitedly. _She needs to take a break,_ Sera chewed on her lip worriedly as the performance went on, it was obvious Lavellan was exhausted if the sweat pouring down from her was any indication and the way the bonfire flickered as it slowly shrunk. _This is too much even for her, she's gonna burn out._

The soldiers that had been dancing around the bonfire scattered, and two different figures came on. By the surprised look on Ellana's face it wasn't supposed to be part of the show, and when Sera took a closer look she had thought she was going to fall off Bull's shoulder laughing. One figure had ugly wings strapped to their arms along with a poorly made dragon head, the other was dressed in what looked like was supposed to be an imitation of the inferno mage. The fake dragon and fake Ellana danced around the fire, play-fighting, and the crowd laughed and cheered. Mugs clanked, mead spilled everywhere, and the play-fighting quickly escalated in rough wrestling, _those two soldiers,_ Sera chuckled, _they're making Ena excited, she's gonna stop playing and join the fight soon I bet._ "Give 'er all ya got Inquisitor, or that dragon's gonna kick yer arse!" One of the soldiers cheered and the fake mage grinned, _oh hoh! Close enough there,_ she slammed her fist in her palm and shouted.

"It's not a problem! I'm fired up!" _This woman's got Ena down pat! Voice and everything, she should get a raise for that shit._ As the drums and fire died down, Lavellan let out one last burst of her magic into the sky and the archer watched with awe when it burst in a multitude of colorful explosions. _Always giving it her all no matter how damn tired she is,_ her eyes scanned the drunken soldiers and even clerics danced around, bumping mugs as the bottles of mead passed around, _working her ass off just so everyone else can have the time of their life._

 ** _Thanks for the best day of my life,_** ** _'_** ** _ma vhenan._**

 _I didn't even do anything and she thanked me anyways,_ Sera tapped Bull's shoulder to be let down and wove through the thick crowd to rush towards Ellana when she walked off the scaffolding, as she went into the clearing where the bonfire was she vaguely heard the elven woman ask the other mages to sustain the fire, and something about how she wanted to be alone for a little bit. _What the? She ain't gonna stay for the party?_ She glanced over her shoulder and frowned slightly, _ugh I wanted to drink and party too, dammit Ena…_ She sighed and rushed after the inferno mage who snuck away, _moving real fast for someone who's panting and tired, not for the right reason either._ _Where the hell are you going Ena?_ The smell of tears worried her and she ran faster up the battlements, _what is wrong with her?_ She followed the scent of salt and ash to the tower being renovated, only to stop midway from the battlements when the scent seemed to be weaker. _What the?_ She turned her head to the right and noticed it was stronger there, _she fucking jumped down?!_ Carefully jumping down to the roof and balancing as carefully as she could, her eyes adjusted to the darkness that blanketed the garden, _this is_ _really_ _fucking creepy right now._

"Ena?" Sera hesitantly called out, "Where did you go?" She heard sudden rustling and a couple of sniffles, a tiny fire emerged below and she looked at the strained face it illuminated. There were dried streaks running down her cheeks and the rogue frowned, _why was she crying?_

"Sera," Ellana rasped out hoarsely, "I gave an order, go back to the party or you'll be-"

"Punished? C'mon luv," the archer cautiously slid down the slanted roof and grabbed on the edge with her hands as she swung down. "We both know you don't do orders either, why'd you run away like that?" Sera's eyebrows furrowed with worry when the mage's eyes watered, "Shite Ena, is this yer crying drunk mode or what?" Lavellan let out a half-chuckle and wiped her eyes as she shook her head.

"I just remembered something Mamae-my mother-told me a long time ago, it hit me at the end when I looked up at the sky." _Oh…_ The rogue shuffled in her spot awkwardly, _what the hell do I say? I ain't good with this kinda shite._ "She said," Ellana breathed shakily as she looked up at sea of stars, "That I was the sound of fire burning up in the night. It's the first time I could remember her voice since..." She trailed off sadly and her solemn eyes met Sera's, _it's not like her._

"Hey," Sera spoke softly as she slowly approached the inferno mage, "Don't look so sad, it doesn't suit you luv." She placed her hands on Lavellan's shoulders and gave a reassuring squeeze as she grinned affectionately, "I get confused when you're anything but carefree or bouncing with joy, Weirdo." She gently flicked the elven woman's forehead, "Hello? Can I have my Ena back?" She tilted her head in confusion when Ellana's eyes widened, _did I say somethin' wrong?_ Suddenly she was held in a crushing embrace and the warmth the mage generated smothered the oxygen out of the air, "Oi Ena cal-"

"Samahl said that once," Lavellan whispered quietly and nuzzled her face in the archer's neck as she squeezed tighter, the tears flowed freely and Sera groaned inwardly when she felt her shirt growing damp. _Shite…_ "I miss them, Sera. I miss everybody who isn't with us anymore. The children I used to play with in the clan, the people I used to wave at in Haven, the way we used to talk and play without worrying about this stupid spirit thing," the rogue tensed at that and guilt welled up within her. _It's eating her up, but I dunno how to say it, there's nothing else that needs to be said right?_ Sera chewed on her lip as the mage hugged tighter, _nothing's changed with her._ "I wish I never opened my mouth, I wish I never told you. I wish I could go back in time to change it, I want to go back," the archer opened her mouth to protest but sealed her lips. "I made a mistake and I don't know how to fix it or blow it up, can we just… Can we ignore it? Forget it ever happened? Pretend there is no Valor?"

 _ ** _Ena is Valor and Valor is Ena. Think of it this way, Valor is a trait that Ena wholeheartedly embodies_**_ _._

"Ena..." Sera didn't know what to say, she should've been delighted and taken the offer without a spare thought but something made her pause, _that wouldn't change a thing. No, even with this weird shite Ena is still Ena,_ the mage gently pushed back and gazed in her eyes, the amber specks swirled with nervousness and hope. She subconsciously smoothed her thumb along the ring Lavellan had made her, _still really haven't gotten used to it though, but I'm workin' on it._

 _ ** _It's not as if this spirit has just merged with me_**_ _ ** _now_**_ _ ** _. It's always been with me, it's part of me, it_**_ _ ** _is_**_ _ ** _me._**_

"Look," the archer spoke carefully, "If you wanna talk 'bout it, alright. But even if we did, nothing would change," she grinned affectionately at the look of fear, "You're still you. And I still luvya," she shrugged nonchalantly and her grin grew at the way Ellana's eyes glowed, "So whatever you wanna do… It's not a problem, mah veh none are a."


	29. Go Hard, Go Home

****Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!****

 **AN:** The fight scene in this chapter was inspired by a hyper song played during break at work. Literally. I've never typed faster in my phone in my entire life, my fingers are  still sore. I wish I knew what it was actually called other than 'hyper song' or I'd definitely share it, it's catchy and silly lol. Hopefully the fight reflects it though, some lighthearted fun again! Also just to be safe I figured I'd just point out that with the small section of "Through the Eyes of an Author", what Varric says in the end is a joke and not an implication of Ena 'hiding' anything :P

 **Warning:** There are a lot of 'fucks' in this chapter, to be honest I don't know why I'm writing a warning for this. And no, it's not in the way you're thinking of. Naughty, naughty :P

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _On dhea:_ Good morning

 _'_ _Ma vhenan:_ My heart

 _Mar rodhe ir'on:_ You taste delicious

 _Sathan:_ Please

* * *

 **Go Hard, Go Home**

* * *

"Mnng..." _Fuck, my whole body feels like it's been tackled by Ena… That's probably what happened too._ Sera groaned as she tried to sit up, everything was either aching, quivering, screaming profanities, or completely given up on life and asked for a noose. "Shit, what the fuck happened last night?" She rested her forehead in her palm as she tried to recall the last memory, _got jumped by Ena in the garden, threatened her to put out the fucking fire on my tits, went to go back to party, drank tons…_ She couldn't remember leaving the tavern table with Lavellan. She looked up and was confused to see said mage was balancing on the broken planks, "Seriously?"

"Huh-oh, on dhea 'ma vhenan," _the heck's that mean again? Shit looks like the joke's on me now, I really gotta start writing this elfy crap down. Ugh._ Ellana brought her legs back to the center and gracefully hopped off the plank, strolling over to the archer on the bed and leaning down to kiss her. _Shit,_ Sera subconsciously rubbed her legs together when a dull ache settled, _seriously, did I jinx myself when I said I'd get turned on just by being near her?_ Unfortunately, the ache had actually been rather painful and sore, _well not really surprised if she screwed me three times. Never gives me the fuckin' chance to touch her though,_ Lavellan parted with a warm smile, "Sleep well?"

"Yeah guess so, my body's all friggin' sore though. Can't remember anything after the tavern, do you?" _Surprised I don't got a rockin' headache, then again maybe it's coz everything else is hurting more than it._

"Now that you mention it, I don't. I just figured you carried me up here."

" _Tch_ yeah right, yer arse is made outta iron now. Ain't no way I can lift that anymore."

"Calling me fat?" The two women grinned mischievously and Ellana crawled on the bed, lowering and capturing the plump lips in a dizzying kiss. "That," she planted her lips on Sera's jawbone, "Warrants," and trailed up to her ear, " _Punishment._ " _Fuck,_ the archer shuddered and the painful ache intensified, she winced when she felt the scorching hands knead her breast over the blanket and Lavellan stopped immediately. "It hurts?"

"Yeah," Sera clicked her tongue in annoyance and her gaze softened at the sulky look on the mage's face, "Hey don't worry. It's not your fault yeah? Not that you were too rough, well probly a bit but I like it that way. Just did it too much is all."

"Yeah but..." Ellana mumbled as she pouted, "Now I can't play with fire on them again..." _THAT'S her fucking issue?! On second thought I shoulda known._ The archer chuckled and slid her hands around Lavellan's neck, her fingers tapping and bouncing along her nape as she grinned suggestively.

"Other ways to play, yeah?"

"You're right! Before I forget I wanna ask you something first though," Ellana hopped up and the archer stared in confusion as she walked past the broken table, _uh wait what?_

"Why's yer desk in pieces?" _Maybe we fucked on it pfffttt,_ Sera grinned with pride, _that'd be so awesome if we broke it, but Ena probly blew it up._ The mage shrugged and gestured to follow, Sera slid off the bed and wrapped the blankets around her as she plopped over to the balcony. "WHAT THE..." _FUCK?!_ Looking down below they could see several craters that decorated the fortress, there was one in the garden beside the well, one in the courtyard where the sparring ring would be set back up… Eventually… And a chunk of the battlements near the stairs was missing, thankfully on the inner wall rather than the outer. "E-Ena… Did you do that?"

"I think so," Lavellan rubbed the back of her neck and smiled guiltily, "I was hoping you could tell me what I did." The mage sighed and suddenly her face contorted into one of panic and fear, "Sera, what if I killed somebody?"

"Relax ye daft tit, I doubt it. You probly just got too excited and punched the ground then boom, right? Somethin' like that, I bet." Sera patted the elven woman's rear-end and grinned at the heated glazed look, _it don't take much for her to get what I want._ Within seconds she was pressed against the balcony railing, hot breaths hitting the back of her neck and hands sneaking inside the layers of the blanket. "It yer mission to fuck me anywhere and everywhere, Ena?" She smirked smugly at the low growl of approval, "Hot." The hands stiffened and she glanced over her shoulder to see the confused look, "You know, like sexy? Like how you say 'cool' to say 'awesome' or whatever, right? Yer hands ain't hot or burnin' me, don't worry."

"Oh," the interruptions hardly affected Sera's mood anymore, more often than not there was some sort of question or something stupid said, _like calling me food,_ she inwardly grumbled. Her head lulled back on the firm shoulder and she sighed in content when the warm hands finally found their way to her skin, though she winced for particular spots like her breasts, love handles and hips. "Your whole body hurts?"

" _Tch_ yeah, what the hell?" Sera turned in the embrace, "Come on let's go back to bed, didn't take a look when I wrapped myself." As she dropped the blankets, the mage behind her inhaled sharply, _turned on is she?_ She grinned smugly as she turned around, "Like what you see?"

"S-Sera..." _Why's she nervous?_ The archer looked down and her jaw dropped slightly, _what the fuck?!_ Her body was literally covered with bruises, hand prints on her breasts and waist, little marks that looked to be bites near her hips and thighs. "D-did I do that to you…?" Sera looked up and cursed inwardly, _fuck this isn't good,_ she closed the distance and kissed Ellana to derail her before the worry escalated.

"Hey," she whispered softly, "Ena look at me," the darkened coal eyes etched with fear and remorse fell on hers, _it's just like Crestwood._ She grimaced at that thought and shook her head, her hands framed the mage's face and stuck out her tongue, "It's proof we had **really** good sex."

"But if we can't remember it, what's the point if you're hurting now?"

"Jeez, that's how you think? What's the point of anything then? Both of us have trouble remembering shite even when we're sober," she poked Lavellan's ribs and grinned at the subtle smirk, "Exactly. Come on it's no big deal, we fucked as much as we wanted and I ain't ever gonna complain 'bout that." She gestured to the broken table with her head, "And I bet we did that too, sad 'bout that?" Ellana's eyes flashed and she grinned wolfishly, "That's what I thought." The warm hands gently circled around her bruised waist and Sera tried to keep her expression neutral so as not to make the mage feel any more guilt, _shit it must've been really hardcore. Why the fuck did I havta forget 'bout it?! Ugh._ Scorching lips clamped over hers and the intrusive tongue threatened to swallow her mind with desire, the painful ache resurfaced and Sera groaned when the hands slid beneath her rear-end, _bruises there too?_

Lifting carefully, Ellana carried the archer towards the bed and slowly lowered her, "Ena just coz I got some bruises makin' pretty patterns don't mean I'm dying." Sera grinned suggestively as the woman crawled over her, "Fuck gentle. I **need** rough." She growled approvingly when the searing mouth smothered her own, the heat in the room rapidly rose and the hands that left a blaze of fire along her skin did a number on her sanity. Despite the pain, the overwhelming passion consumed her and she reached under the mage's shirt, roughly raking her nails along the small of Ellana's back. The elven woman jerked slightly and grunted in her mouth then parted, glancing over her shoulder with confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Uh," Lavellan chuckled, "Well now I know why that's been stinging," she rose on her knees then climbed off the bed, turning and rolling up her sleeveless shirt for Sera to see.

"What the fuck?!" All she could see was angry red lines mapping the tanned back, "Holy shit. We went pretty wild on yer freakin' desk." The two grinned proudly as Ellana swiftly clambered back on top, "Go hard or go home, right luv?"

"Go so hard there won't be a home to go to," Lavellan chuckled and lowered to capture the plump lips until she was stopped by muffled knocks at the chamber doors. "Come in!"

"Ugh, come on. Can't we have one morning to ourselves?" Sera grumbled when the mage climbed off the bed and she scooted to the edge to reach for the blankets, _need to tell her I ain't into frolicking naked so she can pass these to me. Shit my body's really sore!_ She glanced over her shoulder to see who interrupted them and grumbled bitterly, _course it's Ruffles._

"On dhea Josie," Ellana greeted warmly, "Did you have a good party last night?" The antivan woman shuffled awkwardly with a blush on her face and both elves exchanged confused glances, "Uh, is everything alright?"

"Y-yes it was quite a lovely party," the Ambassador let out a short cough in her hand and fixed her robes, clicking her heels together as she composed herself, "However Significant… Damage… Has been done to Skyhold." She spoke as carefully as she could, "I would suggest that while repairs are being done, you may wish to take a leave of absence until we have things fully operational once again."

"What's this actually about Josephine," the mage's eyebrows furrowed, "You reek of nervousness. I can smell it all over you," the woman's eyes widened and Sera chuckled.

"Don't just go sniffing her ye daft tit. It's bloody weird to normal people."

"I can't help it! Even you can smell it too right?!"

"Er," Josephine cleared her throat and smiled politely, "Honestly speaking, damage to the fortress isn't the only thing that needs fixing."

"Huh?" Lavellan and Sera shared another confused look, "Josephine, what exactly happened? Neither of us can remember what we did last night."

"Probably for the best," the antivan woman blurted then flushed a darker shade of red, "You two are personally accountable for multiple broken furniture, and you Inquisitor… Have decided to take renovations in your own hands. Quite literally."

"I saw the craters," _love how she says it like it's no big deal._ "But what do you mean by the furniture?"

"Yeah," Sera rose from the bed and slowly gathered the clothing tossed haphazardly around the room, "And whaddya mean you two? You mean just Ena right?" _She better have not roped me into somethin' else again, I ain't paying for the shit she's done._

"Ah… Well..." The Ambassador gave her board to Lavellan, "As a result of your passionate… Activities…" She couldn't continue and shifted her gaze as her face flushed again, the mage read the list out loud. _Does she mean sex?_

"Furniture Requisition: one tavern table, three legs for tavern chair, one chair main hall, disinfectant and sealant for war-table, one map of Thedas, one raven cage, one throne," _well now I know why I'm so bloody sore if I've been screwed more than four freaking times,_ Ellana glanced at Sera as she dressed, "What is with us and chairs?" _I'm wondering 'bout what the fuck we did with Red's bird cage, she's probly ticked off,_ Sera chuckled and shrugged her shoulders as the elven women looked at Josephine, "If you don't mind can I borrow the quill?" The antivan woman hesitantly complied and Lavellan dipped the quill in the inkpot then added to the list, "One chambers table," she glanced up at the Ambassador, "You'll know I mean my table right?"

"What?" Josephine glanced over the mage's shoulder and Sera collapsed in a fit of laughter at the look of horror, "Oh Maker. Ah yes," she took the board from Ellana's hands, "Yes I'll know what you mean. In any case, repairs have already started and Leliana wanted me to give you this report. Good day Inquisitor," the beet-red woman bowed and hastily scrambled out of the chambers, leaving both women laughing.

"Well now," Ellana grinned at the archer, "Looks like I'm not the only one who blows stuff up huh?"

"Shut up," Sera threw one boot at the mage who deftly caught it, "Destroying shit wasn't enough for ya, you had to go and destroy my body too?"

"So when Josie said passionate activities," Lavellan grinned wolfishly and stalked towards the rogue, _fuck that look in her friggin' eyes…_ "Did she mean this?" Sera tensed when the warm hand trailed down to the junction of her thighs and winced, _shit that_ _really_ _hurts._ "Sera?" Ellana asked worriedly, "Should I give you a break for a few hours?"

"More like a friggin' week," the archer grumbled unhappily, "C'mon, what's that report she gave you?" _It was a fuckin' joke when I said she'd fuck me to death. Quit taking everything I say seriously, big guy upstairs._

"It's a report of," Lavellan's eyes darted left and right as she read, "The Hinterlands," suddenly she grinned and the temperature in the room skyrocketed. _The fuck is she so excited about now? How the hell can she do that anyways, so fuckin' full of energy all the time._ "Sera!" The mage knelt down and lifted her leg to wrestle the boot on.

"Oi!" Sera held on to the elven woman's shoulders for balance, "Calm down! The hell are you-"

"A dragon, Sera!" Ellana shot straight up, "We're going to go fight one!" She grabbed the archer's wrist and dragged her excitedly, Sera gaped at the way the firebrand hair swayed left and right as she drowned the protests of her sore muscles. _Something sounded wrong with that there,_ her instincts warned her, yet she couldn't pinpoint what. _What did she say again? Oh right,_ dread filled her and she groaned.

"Can't we stay home today?"

"We destroyed our home remember?"

 _We're_ _fighting a real, live, fucking_ _ **DRAGON**_ _._

* * *

Another weary sigh escaped her lips as Sera glared over her shoulder, "Yo, Ena. Does any motion knock you right the fuck out or something?" The sleeping mage couldn't respond of course, and Bull and Varric chuckled quietly. "Shut up arseholes, why the hell is she on my horse? I'm bloody sore."

"That's your own fault Buttercup," Varric smirked when the archer glared at him, "What did you expect? Just remember that the next time you play with fire, smoke gets in your eyes."

"The hell is that s'posto mean?" Sera grumbled, "Ah forget it. Can we take a break soon? I can't feel my arse anymore."

"You felt it in the first place?" Bull laughed when the rogue looked at him as if he was about to die in the next few seconds, "Just pullin' your leg. It can't be that bad, I mean judging from what I saw and what everybody else has been gossiping about you two had quite the fucking party… Literally. And everywhere."

"Yeah but we don't remember it," Sera snorted then grinned with pride, "Though seeing the looks on the poncy fart faces and the big chair made it all worth it."

"The poor throne," Varric snickered, "Nobody will ever look at that chair the same way ever again."

"Come on let's take a break already~ I can't take any more of this!"

"Not what you were screaming last night Sera," the qunari quipped and smirked smugly, "Look, down there seems like a good spot to camp." When the group slowed and helped lower Ellana off the horse, they worked together in synchrony to set up the tents. After they unpacked their gear, Sera walked over to the sleeping mage and poked her cheek.

"Oi, Ena. Wake up already, we need some fire." The elven woman mumbled incoherently and swatted away the hand poking her cheek, "Wake up before I tickle ya~" Lavellan rolled to her side and the archer grinned, _time to test out that shite Red said before, shit can't remember the elfy version though… Ah well,_ "Good morning," she lowered her voice in a warning tone, " **First**." Immediately the mage rolled away and scrambled to her feet, apologizing and frantically bowing her head up and down as she knelt on the ground. The other two men watched the exchange with confused expressions and Sera roared with laughter, _oh this is_ _too_ _good!_ "What's wrong luv? Bad dream?" She grinned at the mage's confused look then thumbed to the gathered logs and tinder, "We need fire. Get to work ye lazy arse."

"What…?" Ellana looked around the camp and mimicked the same expressions as Bull and Varric until her eyes landed on the logs in the center, her lips immediately spread in a childish grin and she slammed her fist in her palm. "Leave it to me!" _Oh fuck, she's too excited,_ before Sera could intervene and calm the inferno mage, Lavellan snapped her fingers, "BOOM!" _SHIT, DOWN!_ Fire erupted to life and crackled on the logs, but surprisingly nothing had blown sky high and everyone still had their heads on. She grinned at the archer, "Pretty cool right? It's getting easier to control how much I want and how I want it!" _That can sound so wrong._ Sera uncovered her ears and looked up from her fetal position as did Varric and Bull, they exchanged glances then gaped at the mage, "What are you guys doing? Are we playing?"

"H _hh_ oly fuck," Sera breathed incredulously, "We're actually fucking alive?" Her eyes widened when the elven woman jumped up in excitement, "What the fu-ENA WAIT!"

"LEAP FROG!" Lavellan began running after her and the rogue ducked again, she felt the warm hands splay on her aching back then push off, _I'm gonna kill her!_ The mage cackled as she did the same to Varric and Bull, the two men merely chuckled and complied as they stayed in their hunched positions.

"We ain't friggin' playing Ena! Calm your tits and sit yer arse down, we're all tired dammit!" She groaned when the mage ran for her again, _maybe she can still listen when she's pissed,_ she ducked and felt the hands on her back again. Her lips curled into a soft smile as the woman whooped and cheered loudly, _but she still can't listen when she's excited._ She stood and grinned evilly when the mage stopped in her tracks then crossed her arms, "That's what I thought. Gonna calm d-" her eyes widened and her jaw dropped when Ellana began sprinting towards her, "WHAT THE FUCK?!" Muscles frozen from shock, she couldn't react fast enough when the woman leaped, _she's gonna fucking kill me!_ Though the mage naturally judged the distance correctly and had her hands on Sera's shoulders, what she hadn't unfortunately taken account for were the section of the robes that dangled between her legs.

The fabric caught on the archer's face and pulled her head back, the two lost their balance and went tumbling for the ground. Lavellan stretched out one hand and summoned the flames forth, the explosive heat took a chunk of the ground but pushed them up, giving her just enough time to drop lower and wrap around Sera before rotating them to take the brunt of the impact. They crashed down and gulped for air as the adrenaline coursed thickly in their veins, the archer looked up from Ellana's bosom, "If _you-_ " she wheezed, " _Hadn't_ stopped me from cracking my fucking head open..." She pushed herself up and straddled the mage's waist then wove her fingers in the firebrand hair to ensure Lavellan was okay. Relieved fire-brain's head was still intact she lowered to be an inch away from the grinning woman's face, "I'da come back just to kill you and take you to hell with me."

"We can still go," Ellana darted up and swiftly captured Sera's lips, "Hell is where the party's at right? And fire," she had a dreamy look in her eyes and Sera groaned, she rested her forehead on the mage's shoulder then chuckled, _she'll never change._ Having completely forgotten about their audience-or simply hadn't cared-the two had gotten carried away when their one kiss instantly escalated into a passionate battle where their mouths waged war for dominance. Lavellan's hands slid under the rogue's shirt until Sera grasped her wrists and pulled them outward, smirking at the mage's obvious disappointment, "It **still** hurts?"

"Whadjya expect? Been riding for hours with a fuckin' volcano behind me the whole time, c'mon," she rose and extended her hand to help Ellana up then stuck her tongue out to the two gaping men, "Gotta pay for the show." _Hope nobody saw Ena arse-naked last night, who am I kiddin' she probly ran 'round happily stripping while she blew up the place,_ at that thought her mood soured and her possessiveness immediately flourished, she grabbed the mage's wrist and roughly pulled her inside their tent despite her protests. "Shut up," she spun and hooked her leg around Lavellan's calf then swiftly brought her down to the pelts, she turned and tied the tent flaps closed. "You're mine for the night, Ena," she grinned provocatively and lowered on the woman, "Always fucking me, never letting me have some fun of my own..." _That look in her eyes,_ the painful ache between her thighs stirred, _fuck this is gonna be really hard. She'll lose it or I will._

"I can't help it," Ellana breathed and slid her hands around the rogue's neck, "Your scent," she clenched her teeth, "It's-"

"I know," Sera leaned down and captured her lips in a sensual kiss then parted, "But I'm really friggin' sore. Let me pay you back Ena, you never let me touch you. Was just that one time and that's it, ain't fair yeah?"

"Wanna make you feel good," Lavellan mumbled guiltily, "Mar rodhe ir'on, I love how you taste and-"

"Stop," the archer chuckled, "If you call me food one more time I'll smack you so hard you'll sleep **permanently** ," she grinned evilly and reached into her pack leaning on the side of the tent wall, "Knew this'd happen, so I kept this handy." _It's my turn._ She pulled out the hemp rope wrappings and her grin grew at the confused look on the mage's face, "Gimme your hands," she began an intricate knot as she tied Ellana's wrists together.

"Sera? That's not how you put these wrappings on," the elven woman's clueless look had been absolutely priceless and Sera snickered mischievously, _this is going to be_ _so_ _good._

"I know that ye daft tit," she pushed the wrists above Lavellan's head then snuck her hand under the mage's shirt, lightly skimming her nails across her stomach and loving the way the amber specks practically obliterated the coal irises. "Let me fuck you," the thought alone made her ache intensify and her nerves buzzed with excitement, "And you can't stop me, can't take over. Can't burn your ropes… You'd hate to do that, right?" The elven woman nodded in a daze and hissed when the nails raked harder, "Promise it Ena," she grinned when the mage's eyebrows furrowed, _for anybody else it'd be the easiest fucking promise. For her it's the hardest thing to ask for._ " **Promise**."

"Fenedhis," Ellana sighed frustratedly, "Can't you take the wrappings off? Sathan..." _She's already having trouble,_ "I don't know if I can." _This is what she says I can't to,_ Sera lowered and gently nibbled on her bottom lip before enveloping in a sensual kiss, she ignored the mage's pleas to untie the rope and clambered lower to roll up her shirt. "Sathan, untie me." _Is Sathan a nickname or somethin'?_

"Ena," Sera whispered and gazed at the mage with unexpected seriousness, "Did you forget? I do this because I want to. Let me..." She hesitated as she practiced the foreign word, "Love you too, you friggin' weirdo." She grinned as she repeated words from long ago, "I want you to promise me you'll **relax**." That did it, Lavellan stared at her then nodded slowly, she let out a slow breath and closed her eyes.

"I promise, Sera." At that the archer continued to roll up her shirt and kissed at a slow and torturous pace, _first time she had freaky glowy shit happening to her, 'bout time I get to frig her like normal._ "D-don't forget," Ellana gulped and rasped out, "That time, we made a wager remember? That I was allowed to 'fuck you all I want' if I won, which I did." _Seriously._

"Yo, Ena."

"Yeah?"

"Shut up," Sera grinned, "You promised you'd relax. Don't even think 'bout asking me to hurry up again."

"But…!"

"But nothing," the rogue rolled the shirt higher and over Lavellan's breasts, grazing her sharp canines along to silence the mage-from talking anyways. "It's my turn to have fun." _If she remembers what I say then this should be no problem,_ Sera grinned mischievously as she looked up, "You remember my favorite thing in the world, don't you?" Ellana's eyes flashed dangerously and the archer chuckled, _I wanna mess with her a bit,_ "Let's play a game luv," she mirrored the mage's childish grin, _only she'd look like that when she thinks 'bout playing._ "Here's the rules: can't make noise," _she still looks confident,_ "Can't move," _oh there we go, little doubtful now,_ "Can't touch."

"No way I'm not playing! This isn't a fun game!" Sera doubled over in laughter, and shrugged as the woman glared heatedly.

"Break the rules and I leave, you can't touch me for a week." She leaned down and dragged her tongue along the scar below Lavellan's breast, smirking smugly when she elicited a hiss, "Game starts now."

"I said-"

"You're breakin' rule one Ena," Sera chuckled when the mage instantly shut up and she glanced up, Ellana had pursed her lips and squeezed her eyes shut so tightly her eyebrows knitted together. She resumed her torturous teasing, gentle nips here, light touches there, playful brushes everywhere except where the woman wanted it most. _She's struggling so fucking hard,_ she watched as the sweat drop slid down the mage's forehead, trailed over the eyebrow and disappeared behind the top of the ear, _don't get that. Normally people want to get fucked,_ she smiled proudly when she leaned up and tenderly kissed the muscles rippling at the neck as Lavellan gritted her teeth, _she's not normal though._ She glanced up where the mage had her wrists resting above her head, the fingers flexed so tightly the short nails dug into her palms and drew a tiny bit of blood. Sera watched worriedly, _problem is it ain't fun for her,_ "Hey," she asked softly and the amber eyes immediately snapped to hers, "It really that hard for you, Ena?" The woman seemed conflicted, _oh right,_ "Forget the rules."

" _Yes_ ," Ellana breathed quietly, _ain't her, always loud and strong. Should be happy that I can change her this much but..._ The rogue lowered to kiss her and battled with her decision, _if I let her touch me she'll lose it and I won't get to do the same for her. Plus I'm_ _really_ _fucking sore._ "If I let you have fun, can I at least touch? I need to do something Sera, I can't just stay still." _There's never been an 'off' switch for her._ Sera reached over to untie the knot with one hand as she captured the molten hot mouth and dipped her tongue inside, her own sanity slipping away as the intense heat enveloped her mind. The instant Lavellan's hands were free, she felt the blaze of warmth smooth along her waist in spots that have not yet been bruised, she smirked when the woman reciprocated with sensual passion that surprisingly hadn't been rough or painful. When they reluctantly parted for air, the eyes dancing with fire stared straight at her as the mage whispered, "I promise I'll be gentle."

"You sure you can do that luv?" Sera chuckled at the flare in the eyes, _best way is to-_

"I **can** and I **will** ," _challenge her._

"Seems impossible for you, don'tcha think?"

 _Well, there goes my fun. Ah well I'll always have another chance._ Ellana grinned proudly as her competitive spirit ignited and spread, "I **specialize** in the impossible!"

"Ooh~ fired up now are you?" Sera leaned down and roughly nipped at the mage's neck, she chuckled when Lavellan's grip on her waist squeezed harder, "You promised Ena," her smirk grew at the sharp inhale and long pause.

" **Fuck it**."

* * *

 **Through the Eyes of an Author**

"Hey Tiny, this feels familiar." The two men groaned tiredly as they sat by the fire, both had given up on sleep when Sera's 'shouting' kept them wide awake.

"Didn't I say last time I'd join the orgy?"

"You did. But those two demons will swallow you alive if you try."

"Good point," Bull sighed when he heard the archer's hail of curses for Ellana to 'put it out' and suddenly an idea hit him, he glanced at Varric and the two grinned mischievously, "Hey you think that… Instead of Cassandra..."

"Seems it was Phoenix that was hiding it all along."

* * *

When morning eventually came the group had packed up their gear and strapped it to the horses, but being close to the site where the dragon was last spotted they decided to leave the horses at the next Inquisition camp they came across and walk. This was to ensure Lavellan wouldn't have fallen asleep due to the motion and to give everybody a chance to wake up during the journey, lest they get their bits fried by the dragon before they realized what was going on. During the trek Sera reached behind her and untied the rope that secured a flask of bees to her belt and fiddled around to loosen the cork lid, yet was unsuccessful. She shoved it towards the mage that walked beside her, "Yo Ena, can ya loosen this up for me?"

Ellana looked over at the irritated archer and took the jar, "Sure!" Trying to give it a twist and pull, the mage soon found the cork in the flask was indeed surprisingly difficult to take out. She heard Varric hush Bull when the qunari offered to help and she grinned behind her at the men, "He's right Bull, I can handle this no problem! Don't worry about it."

Varric chuckled, "That's not why I'm warning him."

 _Huh?_ Lavellan shrugged and instead hovered her hand over the cork with the intent of burning it. As the flames came alive and danced in her palm, Sera panicked and grabbed the bottom end of the jar, "What the fuck are you doing?! Don't burn the-"

 _ **POP**_ _._

The two elves looked down and Ellana now saw why Sera was so flustered, a swarm of pissed off bees came pouring out of the jar and they started running and screaming. "Fuck! Why did you want to open the jar of bees **now**?!" Lavellan shouted, twisting her upper body and shooting fireballs at the elusive angry horde.

"I didn't wanna open it ya daft tit! I said loosen! **LOOSEN**! Not fucking burn and piss them all off!"

"Oh! Woops!" Ellana merely laughed and punched a bee when it came close to her forearm, the poor thing roasted mercilessly from the heat of her flames. Both elves half-scrambled on their hands and feet towards a small pond and had been unaware of the dragon soaring in the sky above them, it's roars vibrating through them to warn the oblivious elves.

"In the fucking water! Go, go, go!" Both of them dove inside in complete synchrony and prepared for the temperature shock, taking and holding a large gulp of air as they covered their noses and mouths. Ellana opened her eyes in the dark depths of the water and whirled around until she saw the archer, angrily glaring at her as she grinned childishly, _I'll just kiss her! That'll distract her from killing me and buy me enough time to fight the dragon,_ they looked up and saw that the swarm no longer waited for them past the surface of the water and swam up, gasping for air their lungs had been crying for.

"Remind me next time to just get stung by bees instead," the mage coughed out water she had accidentally swallowed and climbed out of the pond with Sera.

"Good to know you two are alright," Varric chuckled, "You know Phoenix, you could have just stood there and set yourself on fire." Lavellan's mouth gaped open as she stared dumbly at the dwarf, the realization disheartened her and she mumbled as to why she hadn't actually done that. Her head jerked slightly when the archer thwacked her across the head and she grinned warmly as she looked at Sera.

"Don't even think 'bout it, a kiss ain't gonna save you."

"Aw c'mon," Ellana extended her arms and her grin grew at the murderous glare, "You know I didn't mean to!" Before the rogue could react quickly enough she closed in and hugged Sera tightly, squeezing more when the archer tried to push her away.

"Get off Ena, I ain't forgiving you!" Immense heat emanated from the elven woman's body, "The heck are you doin' ya bloody weirdo?!"

Varric chuckled as he watched the clothes steam, "I need to write this in my book later. The Herald of Andraste: esteemed Inquisitor, skilled demon-roaster, professional bee-puncher and portable clothes-dryer."

"Look at that Sera," Bull quipped and gave a thumbs up as Sera glared at the two laughing men, "I think this is the best your clothes have ever looked. Wrinkle-free!"

"Piss off arseholes!"

* * *

As soon as Lavellan tuned in to the dragon's roars, she had gotten excited and immediately started sprinting towards the site as she left her companions behind. Any of the lesser dragonlings that got in her way were swiftly dealt by the aftermath of the fire that burst from her fists as she propelled herself forward. When she saw the enormous beast circling around what was about to become the next newly renovated and crater-fied battlefield, she turned around and starting hopping in her spot to warm her muscles as she waited for the others to catch up. "Hurry up. I have a dragon to smoke!"

"You can't smoke it ye daft tit," Sera called out, "Calm your tits down before it smokes you instead!"

"How come a dragon can smoke me but I can't," Ellana pouted unhappily but her mood was quickly turned around by another growl vibrating through her. She slammed her fist in her palm as her competitive spirit flared back to life, "Come on, let's roast this thing already." She spun on her heel as the other three stood behind her, "It's time to fight fire with fire!"

"All you'll get is ashes," Varric quipped, "Listen Phoenix, I know you like to charge in but we really-aaaand…"

" **There she goes** ," all three grumbled in synchrony as Lavellan set off sprinting down the hill.

"QUIT CHEATING!" The mage ignored the others shouting that it was a _shitting_ _giant-arse mother fuckin' pissing_ dragon and gestured at the beast with her hand in a 'come on' motion, "I'll take you on myself, we'll battle to see who's got the hottest flames. Get down here so I can turn you to ash!" As a fireball came rocketing towards her she grinned wolfishly, diving off to the side and inspecting the leftover crater. She immediately rushed over and swept her hands along the dirt, analyzing the smoking embers before flipping back to dodge another ball of flame. _Easy, I can make this no problem!_ "Let's do this, go hard or go home!"

"You're fucking 'go hard' is the fastest way to 'go dead', Ena!" Sera anchored an arrow and together with Varric they tried to bring the beast down from the sky, "Shit, friggin' impossible to hit somethin' that flies so fuckin' fast!" They had kept moving around and tried to avoid the craters both the beast and Ellana made when she had punched the ground in frustration, "Leave something for us to actually freaking stand on ye daft twats!" Eventually the dragon had begun it's descent and the group immediately steered clear of the landing zone, Sera's heart hammered when she saw the mage trapped behind the dragon. "Ena get the fuck outta there, fast!"

"Find cover!" Ellana's head whipped to the right as the dragon tail came sweeping her way, she ignored her companions shouting at her as she set off running after the tail. Jumping just at the right time she grabs on to the tail then wraps her arms and legs around it, hugging it with her dear life. "Oh fuck, fuck, **fuck**!" The dragon lifted in the air as it beat its wings, "This was a good idea a few seconds ago!"

"You fucking **idiot**!" Sera screamed, "What the fuck are you doing?!"

"I don't know! Get me down from here~!" _Fenedhis,_ Lavellan's eyes widened when she looked down, _oh Creators!_ Letting go now not only meant certain death, but the certainty that there wouldn't even be anything left of her body. She hugged the tail even tighter and panicked when soothing drowsiness gnawed on the edges of her consciousness and began chanting, "This isn't motion, not motion, not motion, not fucking-oh Creators, SERA I'M GONNA DIE!" The dragon circled in the air and continued to shoot fireballs in the distance, Ellana's heart beat erratically when she felt something graze the side of her bicep, "Don't shoot at **me** shoot at the fucking dragon!" She could hear Bull roar with laughter and Sera cursing at the top of her lungs down below.

"I'm fucking trying! Why don't you tell it to come the fuck down?!"

"Go down dragon! Down nice draggy! Who's a nice draggy, you are! Yes you are~!"

"DRAGGY?!"

"Shut up and get me down already!" The tail began to swing furiously and the drowsiness hit Lavellan harder, "Fuck I'm going to fall asleep!" _I gotta move higher!_

"WHAT?! Fuck no I will shove my whole fucking quiver up your ass if you do!" Sera gritted her teeth and leaped back then rushed to dodge a fireball, dashing across the battlefield as she blindly shot off arrows above her. "Who's friggin' fault is it for making the most freaking craters, Ena or fucking 'Draggy'?!"

Another arrow grazed the mage's cheek when she had tilted her head to look at the field below, "Fuck! You almost took my head off Sera!" Ellana ignored the archer's curses and insults as she grabbed on to protruding scales and slowly climbed up higher, her fingers gripping with all their strength when the dragon had flown up and down in what seemed to be an attempt to throw her off. "Fuck riding the Bull," Lavellan cackled like a madwoman, " **I'M RIDING A FUCKING** **DRAGON** **!** "

"Fucking flames for brains I swear, this ain't the time to get excited ye half wit! Get the fuck off it when it comes back down!" Sera looked over at Varric and nodded, both of them focused on the left wing while Bull drew the beast's attention and ran around what was left of the destroyed field. _Whoa!_ Ellana's head snapped to the left as the dragon roared and dipped, she scrambled up to it's head as fast as she could and held on to one of the horns. "Ena! What the fuck are you doing?!"

"Only what you told me a long time ago!" Lavellan grinned wildly as the dragon crashed down to the ground, it opened it's jaws and the mage set off sprinting down it's short nose. "I want a prize after we take this sucker down!" She slid and grabbed the nose with her hands then swung down, rotating her torso quickly and summoning fire at her shins. "Eat THIS!" She snapped her leg against the tooth as hard as she could and unleashed the explosive burst, wincing when she felt the jagged teeth slice her shin. She continued spinning and kicked with the calf of her other leg in the same fashion, knocking out the rest of the teeth and landing on her feet gracefully. She flipped back when the dragon snapped at her and smirked triumphantly, "Play time's over." At the depths of the dragon's mouth came an orange glow and Ellana's blood boiled, "I like how you think!"

"It's just thinking about eating us Phoenix!" Varric rushed behind cover with the other companions… All except the mage.

"Ena, get the fuck out of there!" Sera's eyes widened and she abandoned her cover only for Bull to grab her arm, "Let go of me, this daft tit's gonna get fucking roasted!" She wrestled against his strong grip and ringing settled in her ears, her heart hammered with fear as she watched the mage summon fire of her own, "Ena!"

"It's not a problem!" _Let's do this,_ Lavellan shuffled back to give herself some more space then tilted her head to glance over her shoulder, "Focus on it's chest, we need to get to it's heart!" The dragon let loose it's fireball and the mage reacted quickly, deciphering and dismantling the wealth of energy before converting and merging it with her own chaotic fire. Laughing wildly when the dragon's flames swirled and cloaked her body, she slams her fist in her palm as she charges forward, "Thanks for firing me up!" She jumped as high as she could and gave a quick burst at her feet to fly higher, raising her arms above her and directing the explosive force upwards to push her back down and land on the infuriated dragon's nose. "Go, I'll keep him distracted!" She ran up and grabbed on to one of it's horns with one hand as the beast twisted around and roared in an attempt to throw her off. Vaguely hearing her companions laughter she glanced over her shoulder and made a peace sign with her fingers, the sunlight reflecting the canine of her lopsided grin, "The strongest duo in action, Sera!"

"You're fucking insane luv," adrenaline filled Sera as she cackled, she and the other two let loose on the thick scales protecting the dragon's heart, "You're fucking impossible!"

"You're right," Ellana commanded the dragon fire that cloaked her body to gather into her fist as she drove it in between the dragon's eyes as hard as she could, "I'm possible!" She glared at the beast looking up at her, "We're going to send every single one of you dragons to your graves!" The dragon growled in agony and whirled it's head, the body slumped to the side and Lavellan leaped to catch on to the other horn as she fought off the wave of drowsiness. With the last of her strength and energy she called on her own fire and her blood boiled hotter as the inferno coursed through her veins, _it's only because of you._ She glanced at Sera and her grin grew wider, _fighting by your side gives me strength,_ "I win, I'm the hottest!" She drove her fist in and the powerful explosion of her magic had even knocked her right off, sending her flying to the ground. Ringing settled in her ears and her vision blurred, she could vaguely make out a figure running towards her and chuckled as her head fell back with a thud. _Gold hair… It's Sera._ When the figure knelt beside her she reached up and pulled their head down for a kiss before embracing the darkness with open arms, _too much motion._

* * *

"Did you hear her? She won because she's the hottest," Varric chuckled, "That's definitely going in my book." He grinned when the archer sulked as she sat cross-legged beside the unconscious mage, "Still mad I got your victory kiss?"

"Shut the fuck up arsehole," Sera spat vehemently, "When she wakes up I'm killing her. Then I'll ask Moustache to do his creepy shite to bring her back so I can kill her again. What the fuck was she thinking?!" Her nerves thrummed with irritation as the jealousy gradually intensified, _fuck I know she wouldn't have done it on purpose but it still bugs the shit out of me._ Just the thought of it threatened to send her in a flying rage and it hadn't helped when the men were still laughing as they clanked their flasks to drink.

"We killed a fucking dragon," Bull slurred happily, "We survived and we killed a **fucking dragon**!" His gruff laughter rumbled through the other two and he picked up one of the teeth that Lavellan had knocked out. "Boss kicked out enough trophies for all of us," he tossed one tooth to Varric and the other to Sera, she effortlessly caught it and ran her thumb along the blunt edge. _Shit this is pretty sharp,_ she accidentally pricked her thumb when she inspected the tip of the tooth and the adrenaline she had felt when the dragon died filled her once again. She grinned proudly and couldn't help but join the other men as they cackled in victorious glee, _you did it again luv, blowing shit up like it ain't nothing to ya._

"Stick with the people who make the impossible, possible," Varric murmured out loud as he scribbled in his notes, "Those with great passion can make the impossible happen."

"For your book?" Bull smirked mischievously, "Should write that when you do things from your soul, people really dig that shit. Ain't that right Sera? You'd know that better than anyone."

"Get off," Sera chuckled, "Yer pickin' on me coz you're just jealous that she's all mine." _Passion, huh?_ She smoothed back the firebrand hair that stuck to the peacefully unconscious mage's face then raked her nails along Ellana's scalp, she smiled affectionately at the content grin, _just coz of a bit of scratching…_ Light drool trickled out of the corner of the elven woman's mouth and she snored lightly, "Oi Varric, don't forget to write down go hard or go home. That sums up Ena right there. Especially the part when I shouted that her go hard is the fastest way to go dead, coz it's fuckin' true." _Feel like I'm gonna fall apart soon thanks to her._

"Do it with passion or not at all," _always has a clever way of sayin' the same shit._ She looked back at Lavellan and leaned down to kiss her, ignoring as her sore muscles protested and screamed profanities from both the 'workout' last night and the battle. _Yer always full of surprises,_ she chuckled when the mage mumbled incoherently then gave another tender kiss on Ellana's forehead as a conversation from long ago replayed in her mind.

 _Never know what to expect anymore._

 ** _Doesn't that make things more fun?_**


	30. The Fire She Couldn't Handle

**Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!**

 **AN:** First off I'd like to apologize for such a late entry, I had just gotten back from a camping trip only to find that my chapter uploads have been screwed again lol. Fanfiction and I are clearly not on the best of terms, what with the cover pictures occasionally disappearing along with chapters _telling_ me they've been posted (until I manually check myself and find out it's all been lies all along Q_Q). As such instead of re-posting the original chapter I decided to _write really friggin' fast and_ extend it as my way of saying sorry for the long wait. Enjoy the extra long chappy!

 **Warning:** There's ups and downs in this chapter as well as a flashback of Crestwood (the torture bits are not revisited in excruciating detail though, I think). The slow descent from lighthearted fun to hurt/comfort begins again XD. Time to go unpack my camping gear and work on Fen's next chapter :D!

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _Da'assan:_ Little arrow

 _Ma nuvenin:_ As you wish

 _Vhenan'ara:_ Heart's desire

 _Ma'arlath:_ My love

 _Son era:_ Sleep well

 _'Ma Sula:_ My song (a mistake on my part for previous chapters. It should have been 'ma all along since it is the shortened form of emma which is my. Ma=you, 'ma=me/my/I). Edited every chapter but I probably haven't fixed every mistake in them either.

 _Da'len:_ Little child/one (Solas means this in a respectful manner since Ellana considers him her teacher/elder)

 _Hahren:_ wise person, elder, teacher

* * *

 **The Fire She Couldn't Handle**

* * *

"Where… Am I?" Ellana looked around the barren environment and looked up at the holes in the sky, _oh. Dreaming._ Her body moved of its own accord and she had a scowl on her face, _hate it when I can't control my own body. I should dictate what happens in my dreams not the other way around!_ _Mnng,_ her temper flared, _I should burn this place. That'll show dreamland not to mess with me._ When she was able to glance at her hand hope welled up in her, _will I get to really?! Hell yeah!_ Unfortunately dream Ena had no such intentions and continued moving, _you suck, dream me._ She kept walking a long tunnel of some sort for what seemed like forever, the tiny fire in her palm was all the light she had. _What is with this?_ Slowly but surely, familiar scents filtered in and she grinned excitedly when she deciphered them, _Sera!_ Lavellan started sprinting and relief filled her, _good going dream me, run faster! This is all you got?!_ Her eyebrows worried in confusion when she had also felt a tinge of fear as she kept running down this tunnel, _I only feel that way because of Sera too._ She blanched, _maybe she's waiting for me to wake up to kill me?_

 **Danger.**

 _I knew it! She's going to kill me!_ There was a light at the end of the tunnel and she slowed down to a halt. "What… Is this?" _It's weird hearing myself talk like this._ All this time with as much experience as she had in sleeping and dreams, she'd gradually grown accustomed to the idea now that she knew that it was Valor taking control of her body and dictating her actions. She'd never seen what else it did apart from the physical changes and the fact that her voice almost had a mixture of echo and rasp in it, _and how big of a bully it is when it won't let me do what I want._ As the tunnel expanded the blinding light glowed even brighter and she shielded her eyes, _wait, don't they say you see a light at the end of the tunnel when you're dying?_ At that she paled, _no way! I still have a lot to do! Fight dragons, play with fire on Sera, train Nibbles how to fight, eat goat roast, play with Sera, uh… Dragons…_ Her eyebrows furrowed, _I feel like I'm forgetting something important again… Where's Sera? I need to ask her._

The light brightened then encompassed her and she squeezed her eyes shut, _brighter than my fire, not fair! Come on dream me show this wannabe we're-_ her ears perked and her eyes snapped open when sounds that haunted her echoed across the large barren field. She gritted her teeth as shame filled her, _not this again, I don't want to see this again._ She turned and began walking again, _I said I don't want to see it!_ She had been back on the chair where the man that tortured her stood before the memory of Ellana. _Why am I always dreaming about this?_ Her eyebrow rose in confusion when Sera was also there, yet still unconscious as she thankfully was during the ordeal. _Why is Sera here? She doesn't show up until after the-_ she shuddered- _hooks._ "They were my best friends whore. You didn't give a shit when they begged for mercy." The blade sank in and even Ellana still felt the vague memory of the sting, the dream Ena glared at the man, "Scream, bitch!"

"Fuck _you!_ " The memory suddenly warped and changed, the Ena of the dream was suspended on the hooks and Lavellan's jaw clenched even tighter, her teeth grind loudly against each other. _Wake up, I want to wake up._ "Da'assan," _so weak,_ _helpless_ _,_ "I n-need you. Piss me off, Sera. Call me an idiot," _she did, she had my back just like she always does._ She had never been able to pay attention to Sera's features during all of this, the dream usually blurred it all, _probably because I had a hard time seeing when I was… There,_ she glanced at the hooks then averted her gaze, she was able to hone in the archer's features now though. _Scared and pissed,_ shame, guilt and anger welled up within her, _if she asked me to do the same to her, would I?_ Her eyebrows knitted together in sadness as she watched Sera struggle with the request, _I did that to her, I put her through that…_ "Don't ever give up. If we can breathe we can still fight."

"E...na…" _Not this again,_ the memory warped again and Ellana suddenly felt nauseous, _no, no, no, please. Please, not this nightmare, anything but this!_ Her hand was wrapped around Sera's neck and the rogue's expression tore her apart, _how can she look at me like that?! You should be threatening to smack me, kill me!_ "I lo...ve-" Lavellan's eyes widened, _w-what…? I don't remember this._ "Y-you too... Weirdo. It's okay," _it's not okay! It's far from fucking okay you stupid idiot! You're the weirdo!_ "It's n-not- _ck_ -yer fault luv." Ellana felt she was going to fall apart and her rage threatened to choke the life out of her, she cheered on the dream Ena when she saw the free hand grip the arm that gripped Sera, _break it,_ she gritted her teeth, _break it!_ The snap resounded across the entire barren field and suddenly darkness blanketed Ellana, _am I waking up?_ Her ears perked when she heard something snap again, _did I break my arm twice or something?_ Familiar grunts echoed in her ears, _what the hell is happening? Why can't I see?!_ Her vision gradually came back yet things were still incredibly blurry and fuzzy, her frustration escalated when she heard Sera's low groans, _what the fuck is this?!_ Her head snapped around and she just vaguely made out two shapes, one seemed to be a figure standing straight while the other was on their knees. Her heart hammered against her chest and her eyes widened, _what the fuck is-_ her urges of possession surfaced immediately yet she hadn't known why- _I don't understand any of this!_

As her vision cleared up her stomach churned, the nausea skyrocketed and her blood boiled with intense rage. "STOP!" Her eyes widened with fear, nothing could be done. The man that stood before Sera held a spiked whip in his hand and the archer was suspended by rope biting into the flesh of her wrists, her back marred with angry swollen flesh as blood trickled down from the wounds. Another snap, the end of the whip dug into Sera's back and she yelped, the man yanked the whip and with it flesh ripped out. _Stop, please, why am I dreaming about this?! STOP!_ Her feet remained rooted in the ground, _stop him, please! Kill him! Stop it!_ Her jaw clenched even tighter and her neck muscles rippled, _burn him already! MOVE!_ Nothing. She couldn't even look away, her eyes remained glued at each new line on the rogue's back and it had occurred to her that Sera looked different than she does now, _younger, kind of. Why would I dream of this? I already know what those scars-_ she gritted her teeth at another snap of the whip, "I'll fucking burn you alive if you don't stop!" _Nice and slow, make sure he screams and feels every fucking bit!_ "Sera! It's alright I'm here, I'll make this stop!" Another pained groan, neither figure could hear her and still remain frozen in her spot, _fucking_ _ **move**_ _dammit!_

"Hey," _Bull's voice?_ "Wake up shrimp." _Get me out of here, please! Slap me awake, punch me, beat the shit out of me until I wake up!_ It had taken some time until finally she snapped and the memory distorted immediately, the pitch-black surrounded her once again. Relieved it was finally over, she battled the lingering rage, _why the fuck would I dream about that? Why couldn't I do anything?! Valor would never stand for that!_ She spat angrily in the void cloaking her, _coward. What good are you if you can't even fight in your own domain?_ She looked around, _when I wake up, I'm going to burn any fucker who dares touch Sera._

* * *

"Hold on. I'll show you a trick Bull," Sera grinned mischievously as she lowered and whispered in Ellana's ear, "Good morning, **First**." Within moments the mage had snapped awake and tumbled back, she tripped on the pelt and rolled backwards until she collided on her stomach. The frantic woman scrambled on her hands and knees and rapidly bowed up and down, apologizing profusely as Sera and Bull roared with laughter. "Gets her every time. My favorite part is when she-"

"I swear I didn't do it! It wasn't me this time, I promise!"

"Yeah that," the archer thumbed and her eyes danced with amusement as she looked at Bull, "But she's 'pologizing like crazy as if she did."

"Looks like the Boss was a big troublemaker back then huh?" The qunari smirked, "Well, how do we snap her out of that then?" Sera shrugged and the two walked towards the mage, when she knelt down Lavellan's head snapped up and her eyes widened, _what why's she-_ suddenly Ellana shot straight up and drove her fist into Bull's stomach, the giant surprisingly shuffled back from the blow and let out a pained grunt. "Well shit, that was a good one Boss. Nobody's ever been ab-"

"If you dare get that close to Sera and so much as lay a finger on her," Ellana seethed vehemently and the archer stared wide-eyed, _what the hell?_ "I promise you I will turn you to **fucking ash**."

"Oi!" Sera glared at her, "What the fuck is your problem?!" She faltered when the elven woman's head snapped to her, _her eyes,_ her stomach churned with nervousness, _just like Crestwood._ Bull and her exchanged confused glances and the qunari held up his hands in mock-surrender as he slowly stepped back, Varric wisely remained silent as he watched from a distance. Lavellan's head hung low and she clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles cracked, the woman stomped away and let out a hail of elvhen curses, "Ena wait! Don't bloody move ye daft tit yer covered in injuries!" Sera followed her and abruptly stopped when the inferno mage was suddenly cloaked in flames, _what the fuck is her deal?!_ "Ena! Calm your fucking tits down!" _Fuck, she_ _still_ _can't listen when she's pissed off but she's really off the deep end now. Shouldn't she be happy-_ she glanced over her shoulder at the dead dragon they camped near, _that she brought that fucker down?!_ "Hey! Flames for brains!" Nothing, Ellana continued to the center of the crater-fied battlefield yet before she could follow Varric stepped in front of her and extended his arms, he shook his head.

"Touching you would be a very bad idea," Varric whispered quietly, "I'm praying even this won't get me killed," _what is he on about?_ "But following her right now will definitely get  you killed."

"She wouldn't-" Sera winced when a loud explosion rang out and her head snapped up to the large cloud of smoke, "ENA!" _Fuck sake, this fucking fire-brain!_ She ignored the dwarf's warnings and brushed past him then stormed towards the smoke, _first that dream, now this,_ she gritted her teeth, _fucking messed up morning._ Though she fully trusted Lavellan not to hurt her, she still couldn't help but be scared of the display of raw destructive power as she neared the blast zone. _Fuckin' no man's land._ Another large burst and she saw the specks of fire cloaked by the smoke, the gust of heat that flew her way as a result of the explosion stung lightly, _if I can feel_ _this_ _then_ _she's gonna fucking roast herself!_ She ignored Varric and Bull calling out to her as she shielded her eyes that stung the closer she got to the smoke, "Yo flame-brain! Calm the fuck down right now, or no kissing for a week!" She coughed as she entered the smoke, _fuck how the hell is she able to breathe all this shit?_ She stumbled when she hadn't expected the unsteady ground to sink even lower, _making craters in fucking craters, is she tryin' to blow the f_ _riggin'_ _ground away? Maybe we'll get lucky and she'll strike gold, if she doesn't f_ _reaking_ _melt it._

Eventually despite the stinging and coughing she made it to Ellana, _this fucking idiot, I knew it!_ The mage had been on her hands and knees breathing heavily and sweat poured from every inch of skin, the bandages covering her wounds had light soot on them and blood that leaked through. "Are you trying to blow your-frigging-self up?!" She forced her aching muscles to rush to the woman's side, "What the hell is wrong with you Ena?" _Talking's a bad idea,_ another fit of coughing took her and instead she hooked Lavellan's arm around her neck, "Come on we need to get outta here and fast," _our lungs gonna be covered in this shit. Yeah Bull, survive fucking dragon, die from Ena's smoke. Then she can say she finally smoked someone. Fuck that, that ain't happening that's friggin' lame._ Her thighs protested as she tried to rise, _the fucking things I do for her,_ she managed to stand and oddly enough the mage complied as she stumbled along. Sera glanced over and ignored the biting sting in her eyes, Ellana had a distant yet haunted look in the hollow coal orbs and Sera's stomach churned with anxiety as realization dawned on her. _She flashed and because of that she blew up. Is she still flashing, now?_ Fresh air had never felt so damn good to breathe, Sera took gulps of it and wheezed in between, _frig this isn't good._ She looked up at the worried men, the two conflicted about what to do, "Yeah probly a good idea not to come near," she glanced at the inferno mage slumping in her arms, _fuck she's still boiling up, freakin' stings._

"We need to get a healer, that much smoke is bound to mess with your lungs," Bull stated finally, "I'll rush back to the Inquisition camp and bring a couple guys over." The qunari set off sprinting immediately and Varric's expression was a mix of concern and guilt as he quietly walked beside the two, Sera's legs were on the verge of giving out.

"Fuck Ena, told you yer arse is made outta fucking iron. Now I know I definitely can't lift ya," the joke attempt had failed miserably and the woman still remained silent, Sera's eyebrows furrowed and frustration welled up when her temper flared. Once they got back to the make-shift camp she roughly dropped the mage on the bed roll, "Oi, snap out of it! This isn't fucking like you! Say something stupid like usual, or jump my bones, anything Ena!" Nothing, Varric's words echoed in the back of her mind and did nothing to appease the rising anger, _do it with passion or not at all._ She scratched her head furiously as she knelt down, she cupped Lavellan's chin and jerked her head up, "At least look at me?" She resisted to frown when the empty eyes made way to hers, _I don't get it, I don't fucking get this at all._ "Now can ya tell me what's up yer arse?" The eyes fell again and her eyebrows knitted together, she sighed and plopped on her bum as she tried to get her breathing under control. She rubbed the back of her neck and winced at the biting sting, _just holdin' her arm burned me? Are you fucking serious?_ She glanced at her tender left palm that gripped the woman's wrist earlier, it too had swollen an angry red, _fuck sake…_ Thankfully the clothes shielded her right arm when it was hooked around Lavellan's waist, but their injuries were the least of their concerns.

"I had a dream," Ellana finally mumbled and Sera winced at the lack of emotion, _it's like it's not even her. Like she's not there, exactly like Crestwood…_ It had still been haunting even her. "No… That's not right." _What?_ "Not a dream. A nightmare." _With everything she always fights, that's what brings her down?_ Sera nervously chewed on her lip, _I get like this when it happens to me too. 'Cept I don't havta worry about blowing up the freakin' world._ She exchanged glances with Varric but both remained quiet, afraid they would trigger the woman if they said the wrong word, _she's like a friggin' antivan grenade._ "It was different this time, the nightmare." _She has these more than once?_ Guilt gnawed on her and Sera tried to keep the mage's empty gaze, _never even knew…_ Lavellan's face contorted and the taut lines betrayed her, _aw fuck not good,_ the archer glared at Varric.

"Look away. **Now**. And plug yer ears." The dwarf looked at her confusedly but nodded and turned away, Sera rose on her knees and cradled the inferno mage's head to her bosom then whispered quietly, "It's alright. Let go." She winced when her palm stung again as she wove through the firebrand hair but at least the boiling skin cooled down significantly, frustration welled up in her when she felt the woman in her arms tremble. _This ain't her, what the fuck has she been dreaming 'bout if it does this to her?_ She felt something soak through her shirt beneath the leather breast plate and her chest felt like it was going to explode with anger when her eyes watered, _fuck the world's turning misty._ As soon as she heard the first sniffle she braced herself and tried to remain strong when the woman broke down, warm hands clutched her sides and Sera grimaced when the tight grip infuriated the bruises that were there. She wracked her brain for answers, _what would she get this mopey about? Uh her bro, missing people from Haven, missing her mom,_ she chewed on her lip, _she was sad, but she never blew up 'bout it. I think._

When Bull returned with a couple of soldiers and a healer, Sera glared at them with a murderous look, "One word from your fucking mouth 'bout this to anyone and I'll make you **wish** you were dead." The men nodded hesitantly and eventually Lavellan slumped heavily, the warm hands slackened and the archer leaned back to take a look. "Passed out..." She glanced over her shoulder at the massive crater in the middle of the field, "Not surprised, after that." She looked at the healer, "Me first. If she wakes up before you get to me she'll kill you, literally." The man shuffled uncomfortably, "Today dammit! And make it fast," she distracted herself from the nausea and looked back at the unconscious woman, _at least she don't look like she's dreaming about it again._ She reached over and scratched Ellana's scalp, grateful that it was no longer a chore to breathe when the healer finished his work. He immediately set on the inferno mage soon after, the group dead silent save for the quiet mutters of disbelief over the dead dragon. "She did that," Sera glanced over her shoulder and grinned proudly, "Too bad you didn't see it. Blew the fucker away like it was no problem."

"Flew on him too," Varric added and chuckled at the looks of awe on the soldiers' faces, "Though that was a problem."

"Because she was worried she was going to fall asleep," Bull snickered, and soon everybody erupted in laughter. _Would ya look at that luv?_ Sera smiled affectionately as she gazed back at Lavellan's face, _makin' people laugh without even trying, coz yer so bloody weird. Still don't know how you call_ _me_ _weird when yer the weirdest of them all._ Ignoring the others' looks or rather simply not caring, Sera lowered and tenderly kissed the elven woman. Her lips spread in a mischievous smirk at the uncomfortable shuffle of feet and the healer's sharp inhale, _what, they've never seen a kiss before?_ "Careful you don't let these boys see more action than they're supposed to Sera," Bull teased, "This ain't Skyhold." She was about to open her mouth and say she didn't care but her lips pursed as she stared at the mage, _don't want nobody seeing her naked if I can help it._ She merely shrugged and grinned at the red faces as the soldiers avoided eye contact, the healer tried to remain focused on the task, guiltily grateful he had numerous wounds to work on.

"You lot virgins or somethin'? Wasn't even friggin' kinky or nothing," _wish it were so I'd know Ena's still Ena._ "So calm yer nips before you get a nose bleed." Her head snapped to Ellana when the mage groaned lowly, _waking up faster than I thought,_ she glanced at the healer, _he givin' her fuel with that magic whatever too?_ "Take your hands off," she warned the man, "Might wanna step back a bit too, just to be safe." The healer nodded and reluctantly moved away, Sera framed Lavellan's face and grinned cheekily, "Mornin' weirdo." Relief filled her when she could see the amber specks in the smoldering coal eyes as they fluttered to focus, "How ya feeling?" Her eyebrows furrowed worriedly when Ellana slowly sat up and covered her eyes with her palm, the archer looked at the others and gestured with her head for them to leave, "Thanks for the help fellas." _They better not say anything to anybody or I'll prank 'em for a week,_ she looked back at the mage, "Ena?"

"I just..." Lavellan sighed tiredly, "I want to go back home."

"Not a problem," Sera nodded to the other two companions, "Let's go now," she rose and extended her hand then tilted her head in confusion when the elven woman looked at her, _why's she look like she done somethin' bad?_ "C'mon luv, you wanna go back to our home yeah?" Another flash of guilt and Ellana's expression darkened, "You're… Not talking 'bout Skyhold are you." _She wants to go back to her elfy clan? That's what she was so fucking pissed off about earlier?!_ Jealousy and anger welled up in her and she blurted vehemently, "You can't and you know you can't."

"Hey," Varric chided gently, "Don't think that's the right thing to say right now..."

"Yeah, she just misses them," Bull added, "No need to be-"

"We're standing right here. Still alive, breathing. We killed a fucking dragon," Sera snapped and her temper got the best of her, "Should be happy that we're here **now** , coz what's gonna happen when tomorrow you'll sit here and miss this moment? What then, huh? Gotta enjoy what's in front of you," _like me, not your stupid elfy clan. They didn't give two squirts 'bout you,_ she spun on her heel and began marching back to the Inquisition camp, "I'm going back to **my** home." _All the shit that I've done and all she says is I wanna go home to the shitheads who've done fuck all 'cept pick their nose and scratch their arses._ She tried to block out the look of hurt on Lavellan's face and kept the guilt at bay as she sighed frustratedly when she finally made it back to camp. She raked her hand through her hair, _I didn't help none by hurtin' her some more,_ she looked behind her and the overwhelming regret crashed down, "Fuck."

* * *

The journey back to Skyhold had been incredibly awkward and quiet. It hadn't helped when Ellana refused for Sera to ride with the men and still sat behind her, oddly enough awake yet silent… Which is what made it all the more awkward with the tense atmosphere. Neither woman spoke a word to each other, and Bull's attempts to lighten up the mood were promptly shot down with a glare from Sera or Varric nudging him to shut up. As soon as they made it to the fortress Ellana slid off the horse at the gates and stormed towards the main hall, the men looked worriedly at Sera as she frowned and guided the horse to the stables. The red faces and whispers about the couple during Satinalia hadn't even phased her, her mind swallowed by the torrent of anger and guilt battling each other.

 _Why the heck should I say sorry,_ Sera grumbled as she walked towards the tavern, _I'm pissed off at her too…_ _!_ The stolen glances were starting to annoy her and as soon as she ripped off the leather breast plate and loaded off her things in her room, she made way back to the main hall with the intention of confronting Lavellan. Following the oddly-spicy wood and ash scent, her eyebrows furrowed when she was led to the tower and brushed past Solas without another word, _the heck is she here for?_ Sera marched up the stairs and stopped when she heard squeaks on the floor above her, Dorian glanced over with an amused expression as she scowled. "I hope Nibbles hasn't caused you any trouble Leliana," it was Lavellan, "Have you been a good boy?" More squeaks and the archer glowered, _so with me she's mopey but with Food she's alright?_

"He behaved," the Spymaster replied as professionally as she could, "His company was… Refreshing. I could look after him more often, t-that is if you need me too," _no need to pretend Red. Saw that note 'bout Schmooples,_ Sera grinned mischievously, _she's acting as if she hasta babysit even though she wants to._

"I'll try to keep that in mind, thank you," Ellana let out a shaky breath, "I had… Come to apologize for the damage done as well." _Saying sorry for blowing shit up? No way!_ "I'm sorry if I've caused you additional trouble," _now she's talking weird too._

"It… Was no trouble Inquisitor," _even Red sounds confused._ Sera and Dorian exchanged glances, the tevinter man silently mouthed his inquiry about the mage to which she just shrugged and mouthed she hadn't a clue, _we argue all the time and she don't change like this, I think._ "Ah… Before you leave, I have good news about your clan." The archer's temple twitched, _worst timing ever._ "Here's the report, and you may wish to see this one as well, from Hawke." The longer the silence stretched the more uncomfortable Sera got, _say something already Ena!_ Frustration gradually boiled into anger with each squeak from the nug, every shuffle of the paper, and every clang of Leliana's greaves as the woman shifted her weight from leg to leg. Finally Lavellan cleared her throat with a short cough and spoke with a business-like tone the rogue never heard before.

"I agree with Cullen's approach, it won't hurt to fortify the city and they'll feel safer I'm sure. If it won't be needed then the negotiators can still do their job." A small tired sigh, "As for this one I'll leave tomorrow morning, send a message to Hawke that I'm coming." _What, already? Where, and why?_ "I'm going to retire to my chambers to catch up on some sleep. If you don't mind I would really appreciate it if you would please inform Sera, Varric, Solas and Cassandra to prepare themselves for the trip. Ah and to babysit Nibbles again for me, that is if you can." _What the fuck?_

"Yes of course, it's not a problem. Have a good night's rest, Inquisitor." Sera shoved Dorian over to his space and the two flattened themselves against the wall as they waited for Ellana to climb down the stairs, _wait why the hell am I hiding anyways?_ Her heart raced when she realized the footsteps were nearing on her location, she exchanged a panicked look with the tevinter man, _we're so fuckin' stupid! She can just-_

"I can smell you two. What are you doing?" Lavellan's head tilted in confusion and Nibbles suddenly squeaked angrily as soon as his eyes landed on the rogue, _seriously he's picking a fight right now?!_

"Well fuck you too, Food!" Sera's gaze shot up when the mage let out a tired sigh then turned for the stairs, "Ena? What's going on?"

"Just wanna sleep," Ellana mumbled exhaustively as she glanced over her shoulder, "Wanna come? Your pillows are comfy." Dorian snickered at that and the archer nodded, following wordlessly to the chambers, _she ain't upset with me?_ She wasn't sure if she should have been relieved or worried with that; with how often they bickered over small things, she figured something like this would warrant a fight or two. _Whatever bugged her before, bugged her real good if even she don't wanna fight. Maybe she just don't get fired up 'bout fights like this?_ When they made it to the quarters Lavellan held the door open for her, Sera watched with concern and keen awareness as the dejected woman plopped to her bed without another word. _Half expected angry sex, then make up sex after that._

"Ena?" The archer walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, rotating her torso as she looked at Ellana who laid on her side and away from Sera. _Didn't she wanna sleep on me?_ "What's wrong?"

"I just want to sleep, we have a long journey ahead of us. We're going to be traveling to the Western Approach to deal with whatever it is Alistair and Hawke found, I can't remember the details now." Lavellan squeezed Nibbles to her bosom and scooted forward, she patted the spot behind her, "Wanna sleep with me?"

"Alright," Sera swung her legs over then rolled around, carefully tucking herself behind the portable campfire, "You sure you don't wanna… Talk 'bout it? Might help you feel better and stuff." _Not good with rubbish like this but if she tries even though she sucks, I can too._

"Nothing to talk about," _I can smell her BS a mile away when it's from her mouth,_ "I feel alright."

"Didn't I tell you before? You suck shite at lying luv."

"Look," Ellana released her hold on the sleeping nug and inched around until she turned to face Sera, "It was a bad dream, it sucked a lot, and it pissed me off. What else needs to be said?" _She's mad 'bout the dream, not what I said? Dream definitely must've sucked a lot if she don't care or remember that._

"Well… What happened in it?" The amber specks flashed dangerously, the fire lashed angrily and frankly the look of pure unbridled rage unnerved Sera, _she's gonna blow again._ She reached out and smoothed her hand behind the mage's neck, bringing them closer and resting their foreheads together, "I'm right here, luv. Nothin' but a dumb dream, but it's still pissing you off. Get it off yer chest and-"

"I dreamed of you." _Well then._

"And I," the rogue's lips pursed in an amused smirk, "Pissed you off?" _Not surprised if I annoyed her. Wonder what I did that's worse than what I said._

"What? No not you alone I meant..." Lavellan averted her gaze lower and her eyes shone brightly as they watered, _shit just what the fuck happened? For it to bug her this fucking much…_ "I-in the dream, it started with Crestwood, the torture and-" Sera's face contorted into a mixture of panic, fear and anger, _so it was a flash. Fuckin' knew it, wish those bastards were still fucking alive to pay them back for this for making the both of us dream of that bullshit._ A shaky sigh, the elven woman visibly struggled as her mouth opened and closed, "I… That wasn't the worst part." _What?_ With each word spoken, the rogue tensed more and more until her muscles cramped, "I don't understand why but when I snapped my arm everything around me changed, and then I saw you. I mean well I saw you sitting there for mine but then I saw you," she gulped audibly and rose her eyes, fire swirling with nervousness as she whispered and choked out weakly, "Whipped." Rage still evident as the amber specks glowed, Sera reacted quickly and pulled in for a kiss to distract her, _this is too fucked up. Why'd she see that?_

What started as innocent and meant to comfort rapidly escalated into something else entirely when the archer rose and gently pushed Ellana on her back, straddling her hips as she pushed the mage's arms up beside her head to intertwine their fingers. As she lowered she noticed the way Lavellan's forearms rippled, muscles working in flawless synchrony to help her stay balanced and fingers adjusting their grip accordingly. Both hungry for more, heated lips crashing and melding seamlessly as the inferno boiled hotter, threatening to consume them both. Without realizing it the archer focused on the corner of the lips on the side of the face heavily tattooed, nibbling and sucking on the bottom lip and grinning with pride when Ellana growled warningly. She bit down a little harder and laughed when the elven woman reacted instantly, Sera released her hands and slid down to the wrists, pushing down with all her might. "Not this time," she whispered huskily, "You're mine tonight Ena."

"But I-"

"No." _Always friggin' fighting,_ "You need to relax." Knowing the woman wouldn't, Sera leaned down and murmured in her ear, "That's why you had that dream luv, because you don't lemme touch you."

"Really? So they'll stop if-"

"Yeah," a dirty trick, using the clueless mage's gullibility to her advantage but she saw no other way. Within that same second Lavellan instantly slackened and ceased fighting, _what's gonna happen if we still have these dreams?_ Sera shook her head, _worry 'bout it later, now's my chance._ She trailed kisses along the tattooed jawbone, _used to hate this, still think it's kinda stupid but it suits her. I like it,_ she smirked when the woman's hips shifted beneath her, _gentle and slow drives her nuts._ "You can do whatever ya want Ena, but don't stop me alright?"

"Alright," _she don't sound too confident,_ "But can you hurry up?"

" **No**." She chuckled when the mage groaned, raising her head and slamming it back into the pillows with soft thuds at the agonizingly slow pace Sera set. _Now's my chance to really take my time,_ she smoothed back the firebrand hair and planted a soft kiss along the faint thin scar running along half the forehead. Her lips trailed along the vines of the vallaslin, stopping for a moment to look at the glowing fire gazing intensely at her and shivering when she could feel heat course through her. She glanced down and grinned, _when did she do that?_ The laces holding the top half of her shirt were surprisingly pulled out rather than burned, and she chuckled when she felt the warm hands splayed along her back as they struggled with the clasp of her bra. "Keep up the good fight Ena," she teased when the mage's eyebrows furrowed with concentration, "You'll get it soon," she felt the hands heat up rapidly, "Nope. No burning."

"Come on!" Lavellan groaned in frustration, "This is stupid, what the hell are you wearing?! Is it a lock or something? I can't pick locks like you, I burn them!" Sera snickered as she resumed her torture, working her way down the vines and giving a soft kiss at the corner of the woman's lips, suppressing her laughter when she darted lower before Ellana could capture her mouth. " **Sera**!" _Love it when she screams my name all angry,_ she hummed approvingly as she dragged her tongue towards the back of the mage's neck, toned muscles rippling in kind from the jaw clenching and groans. A breathless moan, "Sera… _Please…_!" _Love it like that too,_ the archer licked along the crook where shoulder met neck and sank her canines in, "Sera!" _And that, everything about her drives me nuts. I can't get 'nough,_ she retracted as gently as she could and grinned at the frustrated huff, "Rougher."

"So demanding," Sera commented idly and faked a hurt tone, "Almost like you don't like what I'm doing."

"What? No I love it, but I hate it at the same time. It's," Ellana rose her head and slammed it into the pillows again, "Confusing me," she growled irritatedly, "I can't make up my mind." The archer merely continued brushing her lips over various spots and slowly worked her way lower, the smug smirk gracing her lips grew larger with each groan, gasp and moan. "When you bite my lips or kiss my neck, I want to burn your fucking clothes off," _good to know, I'll definitely remember that._ The more frustrated the mage got, the more intense the ache between Sera's thighs and soon it became nearly impossible to ignore as she tugged on Lavellan's shirt. She sat up with such speed that she accidentally hit the archer's nose with her forehead and both groaned in pain, _shit what the fuck-_ "Ow~ what's your nose made out of? Steel?"

"What the fuck?! It's yer forehead that's like that not my nose!" After ensuring her nose wasn't bleeding, the rogue tore off the sorry excuse of Ellana's shirt-or what was left of it after the battle with dragon-and tossed it over her shoulder. _Wonder how she can choose when to burn or not burn our clothes? Fire is fire,_ she suppressed the nagging thought in the back of her mind, distracting herself as she pushed the mage back down and lowered to the breasts that always teased her. _But it's magic._ She grinned in victory at Lavellan's irritated pleas to hurry up and stop teasing, she'd paid attention to everywhere but the perky mounds beckoning for her touch. "Nope now shut up. This is the one fuckin' time I actually get to do what I want now. I'm taking my sweet fucking time Ena, coz you never lemme do this."

"But I want to-

" **No. Means. No.** " Sera slid her hand over one breast and squeezed roughly, effectively cutting off whatever protest and replacing it with a pleasurable hiss instead. Seeing the honest mage struggle and writhe was making the ache settled in between her legs nearly unbearable, the arousal dampened her underclothes and the leggings were uncomfortable. _If I take 'em off ain't no way she'll stay put for sure, she's having a hard enough time now._ Part of her wondered if she should just let Lavellan have her way, _but then I'll wanna sleep or if I do this again she'll lose it and fuck me again. Why's fucking her got to be the hardest friggin' thing?_ She tended to the other breast with her mouth, rolling the nipple in between her tongue and teeth yet remained cautious not to accidentally pierce with her sharp canines. Her ache throbbed constantly and she fought not to grit her teeth, _really need to do something 'bout that before I lose it soon,_ it soon became a battle of control for both of them, fighting against their own urges rather than each other.

"Smell," Ellana hissed, _what?_ The archer glanced up, _oh,_ and grinned devilishly at the way the fire in the coal eyes glowed intensely bright, _I would be able to see 'em even if there weren't any lights in here._ "I need to taste. _Please_ Sera, I can't..."

"Hold on for just a bit longer then," the rogue propped herself on one elbow and looked down, using her free hand to work on Lavellan's breeches, _fuck teasing, I want it too. Gonna snap any moment now,_ she glared at the nug from the corner of her eyes, _this feels so fuckin' weird with Food just sleeping there…_ She inwardly sighed and her lips quirked into an affectionate smile, _I always knew sex was gonna be weird with her, can't complain. If he wakes up and stops us I'm skewering it's arse with an arrow and cooking it over Ena's fireplace._ Irritated with how long it was taking to pull off the breeches with one hand, she turned and sat on the mage's stomach as she used both hands to rip off the rest of the abused clothes. She shuddered at the warm hands that cradled her waist, thumbs massaging in small yet firm circles along the small of her back. Such a simple action, yet it threatened to consume what little was left of her sanity as sparks traveled along her spine, her hips unintentionally grind against the toned abdomen and a low moan escaped her throat from the pleasurable friction. The musky scent of sex that flooded her nose rapidly diminished all rational thought and the notion that finally Lavellan would be the one screaming made her blood boil.

"What if you tried laying down like this?" The mage blurted hopefully and Sera rotated her torso to look, jaw slackened in disbelief at what Ellana was suggesting. _How does a daft twat like her go from clueless to suggesting positions?_ "What? It'll solve my problem," the archer pursed her lips and tried to suppress her laughter, _oh this is precious, 69 solves Ena's 'problems',_ "I'll get to-"

"Nope," Sera swiftly climbed off and positioned herself between the elven woman's legs, "Maybe you'd do just fine but I'd lose it. I really wanna do this for you too Ena," before Lavellan had the chance to protest, the archer dragged her tongue along the slit and hummed approvingly at the taste, _how the fuck's she taste spicy too? Never gonna get this shite,_ she restrained a shudder, _weird magic._ She grinned at the heady moan and the fingers that wove into her hair, _I want her to scream it for everyone to hear._ She grazed her canine along the swollen bud and gently sucked as she eased one finger inside the mage's core, the intense heat nipped her finger and she groaned at the rough tug of her hair. _Fire inside her too, or somethin'? Weirdest I've ever frigged,_ she stroked along the top of the wall before pushing in a second digit, caressing with her tongue as she slowly eased her fingers in and out, _but I love it_. She chuckled huskily when she heard Ellana growl along with a hail of elvhen words that didn't strike her as 'friendly' whatsoever, _she's either cursing or threatening me. Payback for playing with fuckin' fire on me,_ her smug grin grew along with the volume of the mage's proclamations, the silence filled with hisses, drawled moans, warning growls, bed creaks, and the incredibly loud snoring of the _stupid fucking_ nug. _Don't get how the fuck he can sleep through Ena's yelling, these two are the fuckin' same I swear._

Looking up had been a mistake, the ache between Sera's thighs throbbed painfully at the sight of Lavellan being undone before-and by-her. The marked body in which scars were worn proudly, the tanned skin glistening with sweat, chest heaving up and down in ragged breaths and neck muscles rippling as the jaw clenched, every little detail made the fog blanketing Sera's mind even thicker. _This how she feels when she loses it on me?_ She wanted nothing more than to make the woman scream her name all night, to fuck her until she begged and pleaded to stop, to exhaust her to the point she'd pass out from overwhelming pleasure. Another long lick along the slit and the woman before her threatened to make her deaf with the unrestrained moans, _or curses, is she even saying real words anymore?_ She curled her fingers and pulled outwards, dipping her tongue and lapping at the slick juices as she watched Ellana writhe, the hands thankfully flung to her sides and clenched the sheets instead. Steam rose from under the palms and the archer's eyes widened, she pulled back and rose her head, "Ena yer gonna burn the blanket ye daft tit, put that shit out!" Unbeknownst to her the slight jerky movement was just enough to push the mage over the edge and Lavellan arched off the bed, head lulling side to side as wave after overpowering wave crashed down on her. Sera watched with awe, the expressions never ceased to amaze her and pride welled up in her when the woman hadn't cared how loud she was as she chanted the rogue's name over and over again.

 _Well… Shit. I kinda wanted to tease her for a bit longer,_ the velvet fire hugged her fingers and throbbed every now and then, she gently eased them out when Ellana's back returned to the bed as her body slackened and melted into the sheets. The golden glow of the sun-kissed skin and the disheveled firebrand hair both amused and turned Sera on, her smug grin plastered on her face as she slowly crawled up and captured the tattooed lips in what was meant to be a sensual kiss… But the mage didn't seem to agree, "C'mon Ena. This all you got, that's it?" _Surest way to fire her up,_ the rogue laughed as she suddenly found herself on her back with Lavellan growling against the thundering pulse of her neck. She sighed in content at the warm hand that snuck under her loose shirt and danced along her side, grateful that all the sore spots had all but disappeared when the healer worked on her in the Hinterlands. _Guess magic ain't so~ bad… Still creepy as fuck though._

"Fuck," Ellana breathed tiredly and rested her forehead on the archer's freckled shoulder, "Can we just maybe, kinda, sorta, take a nap first?" _Oh this is_ _too_ _good._

"What's wrong, you tired?" _Now she knows what the fuck she does to me._

"Not at all," the mage lied through her teeth, "I was thinking perhaps you'd like to rest after all your hard work and-" she smiled warmly as Sera's eyebrows rose in amusement that clearly proved she knew Lavellan was full of it. "Alright, alright you caught me I suck at lying and I'm tired. Can we sleep now?" The rogue was torn with indecision and her expression fell, she sorely wanted her own needs taken care of but if Ellana of all people was asking to 'nap', _which is definitely gonna be her snoring all night,_ then who was she- "Actually I changed my mind." _What the fuck? That was fast._ It was her turn to arch off the bed the moment the elven woman brushed her lips along the ridge of her collarbone, _that's gotten_ _really_ _sensitive and I don't fuckin' get why_ , ever since Lavellan sank her teeth and pierced there, the mark along with the second one on her neck wouldn't go away. Instead they changed constantly as they healed, until gradually they took on a darker skin tone and the outline of the bruises themselves slowly moved as well.

Whatever shape they were trying to morph into was too soon to tell, but the moment the mage would touch these spots she'd felt as if something stirred within her and her blood boiled as if fire itself coursed her veins. She never got the same effect when she would touch the spots out of curiosity and only felt the pressure of her fingers, _feels fucking amazing when it's her though, not gonna complain._ Her arousal was borderline painful and her leggings felt incredibly uncomfortable, her nerves thrummed with both passion and frustration that Ellana  still took her _damn sweet fucking_ time getting to the part she needed, even the snoring nug himself had been completely forgotten as if he'd never existed in the first place. Enough was enough, Sera gritted her teeth and growled ferociously when the warm hand underneath her shirt only cupped the edges of her breast, _I'm on to her, thinks she can get away with teasing me like this huh?_ " **Ena** ," she warned, "Fuck me **now** or no touching for a week."

"Ma nuvenin," Lavellan lilted with amusement, " _Somebody_ sure is impatient."

"That's coming for you?" Sera scoffed, "Or are you-" she chuckled when eager hands yanked down her tights, "Talking 'bout yourself?" She sat up and rose her arms as the irritated mage wrestled her shirt off, laughing when it had gotten stuck, _I should be the one annoyed but she's got that covered for me._

"Shut up," Lavellan huffed as she continued to fight with the stupid piece of- "Can't I just burn it?" She heard the muffled threats underneath and sighed exasperatedly, "Come on! How is this even stuck on you?! There's nothing-oh there we go, _finally…_ " Wasting no time after the miracle she'd been granted she pushed the archer back down by her shoulders and mirrored the impish grin, she slid her hands behind Sera's neck and captured the plump lips in a searing kiss. She responded to the tongue sliding along her palate in kind and delved in, running her tongue along the sharp canines and savoring the taste for herself. _Taking her friggin' time again,_ the rogue groaned impatiently against the scorching mouth and growled warningly when the warm lips spread in a smirk against her own, _oh I am_ _so_ _on to you!_ When the mage parted she was about to threaten her but paused, _why's she look nervous?_

"Ena?" _She's not actually nervous about fucking me is she? Where the hell is Corphy it's the end of the fuckin' world._

"I was thinking," Ellana leaned back a little and sheepishly rubbed her neck with a small smile, "Could you get on your stomach?"

"What." Sera couldn't help the deadpan inquiry, her lips pursed in a thin line as laughter bubbled in her chest, "Jeez..." She raked her hand through her hair and complied without a second thought as she shifted beneath the woman and rolled on her stomach. "And here I was actually worried when-" she stiffened when she felt curious hands ghost along her shoulders, thumbs far too close to be coincidence to one of the older scars spanning along the length of her back. _It's still bugging her._

 ** _I didn't know what to do, I wanted to touch them and that's also the… Other reason why I wanted to massage. To get a closer look._**

Her eyebrows furrowed with concern at the sharp inhale and stuttering sigh, quivering fingers tracing each faint scar that nearly faded away. Her heart constricted painfully and her eyes watered, she murmured softly without really knowing what she wanted to say, "Ena..."

 ** _I mean well I saw you sitting there for mine but then I saw you whipped._**

"Never again," Lavellan whispered with fervor and conviction, "I promise it."

 _ **I would rather die than let you suffer the same fate even**_ ** _one_** _ **more time Sera.**_

Tender kisses pressed to each scar, the archer shuddered each time at the electricity and shivers that shot through her spine, _always worried she can't be gentle, what the fuck is this? Daft tit always sells herself short._ The overpowering wealth of emotions coursing through her was indescribable, she felt nothing but warmth, love and safety in every fiber of her being. _Weird, this,_ she mentally chuckled, _still not used to this._ There had to be countless scars even she was unaware of or the mage simply kissed again, _or she just forgot._ "Ena," she croaked out in hopes it'd lighten up the tense atmosphere, "Fuck me already, yer turning me into a mopey tit like this. Crying during sex is weird as fuck."

"Well you're weird," Ellana stated as if it were the most natural fact in the world and the rogue propped herself up on her elbows then rotated her upper torso, glaring at the woman who dared called her weird.

"That's coming from **you**?!"

"What?" The mage grinned childishly, _I dunno if I wanna smack or kiss the hell outta her right now,_ "I didn't say I wasn't either." She braced herself with her palms on either side of Sera's waist and slowly lowered, gently pressing her lips to the small of the archer's back. Being able to see the woman's glowing eyes of pure admiration nearly chewed away what little control she had over her emotions, _not pity, none of that shite that I hate._ She slowly rolled on to her back and pulled Lavellan towards her, the two sharing a sensual kiss that spoke more words than could be said in one breath. _She's pissed off 'bout it, ready to tear apart bastards for me._ _Me_ _,_ her eyebrows knitted together and her eyelashes grew damp, she gritted her teeth when Ellana whispered affectionately in her ear and emphasized each word, " _ **I love**_ _**you**_ _ **, Sera**_." With one arm keeping her steady as she tucked beside the rogue's head, her calloused hand traveled lower and her patience all but evaporated as the dam broke, the consuming inferno of passion swept both in the tide as they crashed their mouths together. "Vhenan'ara," the elven woman breathed fondly, "Ma'arlath," she lowered and pressed her lips to the mark along the ridge of the collarbone.

" _Ena!_ " Sera clenched her jaw and her back arched slightly, _what the hell it feels even more sensitive now!_ Lavellan chuckled quietly and traced the outline with the tip of her tongue, every ounce of warmth and heat redirected to pool in between the archer's thighs. "Fuck, _please_ , just fuck me already I can't take this anymore Ena," she searched for the calloused hand and roughly gripped it, forcibly pressing it against her core. Her eyes fluttered shut and she moaned wantonly, every nerve and muscle fiber felt alive as the mage's lips blazed along her shoulder. The trail of fire left in her wake burned her in the way she absolutely loved, her skin felt like electricity and when the molten-hot mouth sloppily clamped over hers as fingers forced their way deep inside she felt dizzy and drunk. _Shoulda stayed on my stomach,_ she idly thought until they'd been promptly swallowed by the next wave of pleasure. Her body hummed with delight and she felt fierce warmth deep inside her, the woman above her had a mischievous grin and her eyes shone bright with feral lust. _Fuck it, I'm not gonna bother anymore,_ the archer willingly dove in knowing Ellana wouldn't hurt her, _she'll just do it anyways._

"You got to do your favorite thing in the world," the mage murmured, _she remembers that huh?_ "It's my turn now."

"Something- _hah_ -tells me, _shit!_ " Sera's back arched off the bed and she felt the fingers buried within her curl and pull, the velvet heat clamped down immediately and a flash of white blinded her. She'd nearly forgotten what she wanted to say, "That yer just bringing fire every- _fuck_ -where… _Ena!_ "

"You're right, I'm stealing yours and adding mine," _what?_ "Fucking you with fire is my favorite thing in the world." Lavellan pulled her fingers out none too gently and swiftly took her place between the rogue's legs as if she belonged there, the bright glow in her eyes as she gazed with pure desire sent shivers crawling along Sera's spine. Ellana had been in the state of fire that the archer loved for she  wanted to be burnt, the elven woman thrust three of her fingers at once and hungrily sucked along the swollen nub, _too much, too fucking much!_ Sera's hips shot off the bed until they'd been promptly secured back down with an annoyed warning growl, "Quit moving, I'm eating."

"Again with the _fuck!_ " The archer seethed through clenched teeth as she grabbed the firebrand hair and pulled closer, "I'm not fucking food!" _Especially when Food is right fucking here, fuck!_ The aggression sent tingles along her muscles and the vibrations of Ellana's chuckles rumbled deep inside her, she teetered on the edge of bliss and the slick juices made it difficult for the velvet walls to clamp down on the protruding digits. "Close, so fucking close," she hissed and desperately held on for control as she summoned random images in her mind all in an attempt to stall the inevitable, _just a bit longer…!_ The three fingers buried deep inside her curled and unintentionally rubbed along the rough sweet spot, the canine that grazed the sensitive bundle of nerves was all it took for the bittersweet orgasm to crash down wave after wave. Her throat stung as she cursed to the high heavens, constantly tugging on the firebrand hair at each bout of pleasure that coursed through her veins. One by one her muscles shut down and collapsed, the sheets beneath her damp from sweat both from lovemaking and the immense heat radiating from the woman that crawled above her. She just vaguely registered the lips smothering her own and lazily reciprocated in kind, _fuck I really need to just sleep._ She tried to muster energy just in case she needed to smack the mage for teasing her about being exhausted, but none came.

"Now we taste like each other," Ellana breathed proudly, _still saying kinky shite without a fuckin' clue._ "You taste better though," she looked sad for a moment, "How come you're better food than I am? Shouldn't I-"

"Yer lucky I'm too fuckin' tired to smack you right now," _can't believe that's her issue right now._ Happily exhausted in her afterglow and ignoring the dull intermittent throbbing she turned on her side and patted the spot behind her, "Bring the blankets." _Can't believe,_ she chewed on her lips and her hips subconsciously shifted, _still turned on, still want more. Fuck that too damn tired, how the hell did we fuck everywhere Satinalia night?_ An affectionate smile graced her face and she chuckled when the mage tucked so close they may as well have merged together, _always trying so damn hard, so friggin' clingy._ "Ena? The blankets?"

"I'm better and warmer than blankets," the woman murmured groggily and draped her arm around Sera's midriff, "Bring Nibbles over."

"I don't wanna sleep arse-naked for the world to see ye daft twat," she slumped into the warmth and comfort of Lavellan's embrace, "Ah fuck it." She purposefully ignored the mage's request and glanced over her shoulder at the peaceful sleeping face, _wow she didn't waste any time huh?_ She scooted closer-if such a thing was possible-and rested her hand on top of the arm wrapped around her, her body still buzzing with delight and desire despite all that's happened. Warm lips pressed to her shoulder blade and she grinned, _making out in her sleep?_

"Son era, 'ma sula," Ellana slurred nearly incoherently, "Love you." _What the?_ The archer looked over her shoulder again, _she's definitely asleep… So she's talking to me in her sleep?_ She chuckled, _I can't keep up with you, yer always surprising me._ She patted the arm and rotated her torso as much as she could, she just barely managed to plant a soft kiss along the corner of the mage's eyebrow and whispered so quietly she barely heard herself.

"Love you too, weirdo."

* * *

"What else should I pack?" To say the morning sucked was putting it mildly. The moment Sera's eyes were open and the remnants of the crappy dream she had faded away, she'd been watching Ellana bounce around with _way too much fucking_ energy. The only time she rose from the bed was to help the mage dress up and then herself, _how the hell did she manage without me before?_

"For the last time I don't friggin' know ye daft twat, I never been to a fuckin' desert. Bring a ton o' clothes coz I bet you'll burn all of yours on the way there, and then catch on fire when we're roasting at the bloody place." Sera sighed frustratedly and rubbed her forehead as she sat on the edge of the bed, the mage ran around her room stuffing things in both a satchel and rucksack. She'd been abruptly awaken by the hyper mage who was far too eager for the trip, "You're like a damn kid y'know that?" Ellana grinned childishly at that and flashed a peace sign, the rogue chuckled and mirrored her grin, "Jeez..." As the woman continued running around with Nibbles squeaking and excitedly chasing after her, Sera rested her chin on her palm as she idly mused what she should pack, _lots of clothes. Coz Ena'll burn through all of mine too._ She couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen with the others traveling with her, _why's she gotta bring Baldy? Cass and Varric will be at each others' throats too…_ Her eyebrows furrowed worriedly at the memory of the Hinterlands when Lavellan snapped and punched Bull back, _that why she don't want him to come along?_

 _ **If you dare get that close to Sera and so much as lay a**_ _ **finger**_ _ **on her, I promise you I will turn you to fucking ash.**_

 _What's gonna happen with the others now?_ She glanced up with the intention of asking the woman for answers until she paused, having completely forgotten what she wanted to even say when she saw Ellana balance upright on her hands… With Nibbles on the soles of her feet. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Oh sure. Obviously _insane_ ," Sera teased and poked out her tongue, "Yer so weird."

"You love it!" _So friggin' confident, but I can't say no._ The mage carefully bent her legs until her feet touched her rear end and Nibbles shifted to her shins then safely hopped off, she gave a slight swing and landed gracefully on her feet as she grinned proudly. "Figured I'd train a little bit while you were thinking."

"Huh?"

"Well," Lavellan shrugged, "You looked deep in thought," _so_ _she_ _waited? That's new._ "Anyways come on we gotta go grab your stuff and meet everyone at the stables!" She slung her satchel over her head and adjusted the strap to rest comfortably across her chest, she scooped up the nug and larger pack with ease as she smiled warmly, "Ready?"

"Hold on weirdo," Sera bit back a sigh as she rocked off the bed and plopped towards the confused woman, she yanked the waist belt a little tighter to ensure the shirt wouldn't move around freely, "If yer not gonna wear that chain shite anymore at least make sure yer tits won't be flapping everywhere. Still wearing thin pish that's barely even clothes." She tilted her head and peeked through the side of the shirt, there was thin string and she could see the side of a triangular patch hold on to the breast for it's dear life, _that's_ _what she's using to keep 'e_ _r tits_ _together, is she serious? Well better than nothing I s'pose._ She glanced up and her eyebrow rose in confusion at the warm smile on Ellana's face, "What?"

"Told you, you have a good heart."

 ** _Shut up and undress already. Ever been stitched up?_**

"S-shut up," Sera ignored the heat at her ears and tightened the belt extra tight, smirking evilly when the mage suddenly yelped, "That's whatcha get. Yer like a friggin' kid, gotta dress you up, help you pack and- _mmph?_ " Lavellan gently cupped her chin with a finger and tilted her head up, the surprisingly innocent and tender kiss made the archer's knees feel weak and her eyes fluttered shut of their own accord as she melted in the soothing warmth coursing through her. The two were interrupted when Nibbles squeaked angrily, Sera glared at the nug while the elven woman laughed as the two battled with their eyes.

"Come on, we have to get going. After we beat up whoever needs beating up at the Western Approach I wanna fight Hawke. Ooh~ and listen to Alistair's stories, I heard he fought alongside the Hero of Fereldan and..." As Ellana went on excitedly rambling about her to do list, _which she'll end up forgetting anyways, well except the bit with fighting Hawke probly,_ Sera wordlessly trailed behind the mage and eyed the arm band on her left arm. _Something about luck and protection… Right? So she got a new one?_ She smiled softly to herself as the memory replayed in her mind, though the conversation itself was fuzzy she still vividly remembered the woman sitting on the edge of the bed without her breeches, her legs thoroughly bruised from training and the two working together to apply the poultice. Her nerves buzzed and her stomach churned pleasantly, _and the massage after that… She was always driving me crazy and turning me on without meaning to. And she_ _still_ _does that even now._ Her lips spread in a lazy smile at memory of the two trying to learn how to dance, or rather Sera's attempts to save her toes from the mage that unintentionally stomped on them despite the advisors training them.

Each time she caught herself reminiscing and wondered how day by day nothing changes, yet each time she looked back everything seemed different. After they dropped Nibbles off with the Spymaster who played it off and pretended she wasn't particularly as excited to babysit the nug as she truly felt, the two made way for the tavern to pack up things for Sera. When they got to the entrance however, Ellana hesitated and stepped to the side, _what the heck?_ "I'll wait out here until you get your things ready." _Why don't she wanna go inside?_ When the door opened courtesy of some drunken soldiers stumbling out, the archer just happened to steal a glance and saw Bull drinking at one of the tables with the Chargers, _oh…_

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't care," Sera shrugged and opted to cheer her up the surest way, "Bull was impressed with the punch remember?" The mage's eyebrows furrowed with worry and guilt, still conflicted despite the reassurance, "C'mon Ena, you guys beat each other up all the time. Besides," she lied through her teeth, "I'll need yer helping choosing what clothes I ought to pack before you burn 'em."

At that the elven woman grinned proudly, _fire is still her favorite thing, she'll never change._ "You're right, I've done worse to him." Ellana dropped her sack and satchel on the ground then tapped her nose, "Though I can smell your lie remember? But now I'm helping anyways," _nothing gets past her with me huh?_ The archer shrugged and grinned shamelessly, _ah well,_ she purposefully sauntered away into the tavern with Lavellan close on her heels as they made way for her room, her mischief spurred when she heard the warning growl, "You're teasing me on purpose."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sera stated innocently, her grin growing ever larger at the sarcastic huff, "I'd never even dream of doing that to ya." The moment they crossed the door that was her only barrier against the inevitable, warm arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her. She collided roughly with the mage and decided to shift her hips side to side, intentionally rubbing and grinding against Ellana, _bit sore from last night but fuck it_. As soon as she heard the door slam shut she'd been turned and trapped against it, her grin that of a devil and her eyes daring the woman to come and get it. Her eyes fluttered shut as Lavellan lowered and she eagerly waited for the molten-hot tongue to dip inside her mouth, yet it never came and the comforting presence disappeared. _What's she waiting for?_ Sera opened her eyes and was surprised to see the mage had turned around and looked around the room for the traveling pack along with clothes to stuff inside, not bothering to fold them as she punched them inside for extra room. "Uh… Ena?"

"Hm?"

"The hell are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious?" When Ellana turned around her honest grin betrayed her true intentions as she held up the sack, "I'm helping you choose which clothes before I burn them. I picked all the ones that bug me so there won't be any problems with me burning them." _This arse…_

"Oh that so? And what if I have a problem with it?"

"It won't be, I'm sure," the mage shrugged, _think she can get away with teasing me too huh?_ "Come on, we should go to the stables and rescue Varric from Cassandra." When she brushed past Sera then opened the door, she swiftly took a second and nibbled on the tip of the rogue's ear before leaving her behind. _Fuck…_ The ache settled between her thighs made it difficult to decide whether to keep playing the game or to instigate what they both clearly wanted, yet her own competitive spirit beckoned her to fight, _two can play at this game Ena and yer fucking with the master of it._

* * *

After securing their gear to the horse and ensuring nobody was killing each other when just the topic of Hawke threatened the peace, Lavellan settled behind the archer on the saddle and grinned as she scooted closer. _I'm on to you, and it's not happening luv._ She rested her chin on Sera's shoulder and wrapped her in a soothing embrace, yet pouted when the rogue hadn't even reacted to her touch or hot breaths hitting the neck. Before she could ask, Sera glanced over with a grin of her own and squeezed her heels into the horse, tensing on the reins and setting off on a gentle canter. The motion immediately lulled her to sleep and the archer could feel Ellana slacken then slump more towards her, she chuckled quietly as she looked over and saw the peaceful face slowly slide off her shoulder.

 _Won't ever get why the hell this puts you to sleep so damn fast._ In the clear from the biting cold of the mountains and riding near the coastline of the Waking Sea, the group had been on edge at the sight of thunder clouds gradually coming towards them, _at least we got someone to dry our clothes and keep warm._ The ride itself had been rather uneventful save for the bickering between Varric and Cassandra about Hawke, or Solas and Sera about elfy things. It hadn't phased her until the worst however, was when Solas uttered heatedly, "I still don't understand why da'len is with someone who scorns and spits on everything she stands for." _Not everything, arsehole._

"Oh I spit," Sera retorted shamelessly, "But for a different reason." She laughed at the disgusted noises from all but Varric, "Oi make sure you put that that in yer book too Varric," the dwarf merely shook his head and smiled. A few drops of water hit them and she looked up at the dark clouds hovering directly above them, _oh shit that don't look so good. Gonna pour any second now._

"What?! Varric you cannot write about such… Indecent things about the Herald," Cassandra went on to protest all sorts of reasons why that the rogue couldn't care for as she continued her not-so-secret glaring contest with Solas. Sera decided to goad the mage further by making fun of anything considered elfy or commented on what the veil felt like, smirking with pride at the obvious frustration when he'd reply with elvhen words, _bet it's curses, sounds almost like what Ena shouts._

"Yer just mad we're frigging and it's not all elfy glory like it would be with you two," at that jealousy tugged on the edges of her thoughts when she realized both elven mages have spent quite a bit of alone time with each other and she could never find them when they went for their 'meditation' training. She glowered instantly and immediately snarled warningly, "Don't ever even fucking think 'bout it, got it Baldy? She's **mine**." _I know she never would but don't want nobody else thinking 'bout her like that. Besides she's still a clueless twat she could be easily tricked into anything,_ she glanced over her shoulder and smiled affectionately at the sight of firebrand hair, _friggin' daft tit._

"I am well aware of that," Solas replied and the others exchanged confused glances, the mage had sadness laced in that statement and only served to fuel Sera's jealousy, _so he does feel somethin' for her._ She'd been about to snap until she felt the portable campfire behind her shift and stir, _she's_ _waking up while we're still riding?_ The others had the same looks of disbelief as Ellana slowly woke and leaned back, rubbing the drool off her chin with the back of her hand as her eyes soaked in the details of the landscape.

"A-anchor," Lavellan murmured sleepily, the rogue slowed the horse down to a stop and rotated her torso to get a better look, _what's wrong?_ "It's pulling me… Somewhere," she slurred groggily then pointed to the left, "That direction." They followed where she'd gestured and Sera groaned exasperatedly.

"A fucking cliff? That trail's too narrow for us to go on horses luv," more drops of rain hit them, "We gotta set up camp or something before it pours and we get soaked."

"I'll dry our clothes," Ellana stated half proud, half drowsy, her features still soft as her mind gradually warmed up to her surroundings. She slid off the saddle and instantly she'd been snapped fully awake, raising her arms in the air and cheering, "Yes! No more motion!" _She says that as if sleeping's a terrible thing,_ Sera chuckled then stiffened with realization as she looked at the energetic mage, _did she dream 'bout that again…?_

"Let's find somewhere to set up the tents and have one stay with the horses while we check out where the rift is," Solas spoke softly, a subtle smile on his face as he watched Lavellan bounce around with renewed vigor, _she's_ _mine_ _and I'll make sure he isn't just 'aware' of it, it'll be fucking engraved in his head._

"Oh-ah good plan," Ellana nodded her head and looked around then pointed at the far end of the field where there had been what looked to be trees stemming from the Emerald Graves, "How about down there? The trees will give more shelter from the rain too." She extended her hand to the archer, "Come on let's go, let's go! I wanna fight demons!"

"Jeez, so demanding and impatient," Sera teased and grabbed her hand to hoist her back up, "Can you even stay awake for two minutes?" She grinned at the obvious signs of drowsiness hitting the mage as she sleepily protested and mumbled, scooting closer and hugging Sera as she fought valiantly against the toughest foe of them all. _Wakes up coz of the anchor thing, falls back asleep anyways, weirdo..._

"I don't think I'll ever understand how she wants to fight, especially against demons," Cassandra commented idly as they rode towards the trees.

"It's important to love your job," Varric quipped, "Born in the right era, I reckon there's going to be plenty of things for her to fight all her life." Sera glanced at the dwarf but remained silent, _will we fight forever? Never really thought 'bout it before,_ the heat buried beneath her shoulder blades made her smile, _more fun this way, I wouldn't wanna change this for the world. Ena wouldn't be Ena if she didn't have somethin' to punch or burn anymore._ As they searched the treeline for a suitable path to travel deeper in and eventually finding a decent spot to set up camp, they'd worked together to carefully pluck the sleeping mage off the horse and laid her on a bedroll. "Another thing to write in my book," Varric chuckled, "I swear with the shit she does nobody will believe me."

"The things you wrote about Hawke were the same," Cassandra muttered vehemently and the dwarf winced. _One of these two ought to stay here so they won't bitch while we're fighting,_ Sera glared at Solas, _or Baldy, so he won't 'accidentally' find an arrow up his arse._ She slid off the saddle and tied the reata around a tree then made way towards the unconscious woman, _I get why Varric and Cass are coming along coz of the champ and shite, but why Baldy?_ She knelt down and wove her fingers in the firebrand hair to scratch Lavellan's scalp, snickering at the lopsided grin and the way the canine glinted as the sun illuminated the tattooed half of her face, the light trail of drool trickling out the corner of the mouth.

"Always so damn happy with just a bit o' scratching..." _Almost feel bad that we gotta wake her up soon,_ she rose and helped out with tying any knots that needed to be tied as the others set up the tents. _Got a bad feeling too, maybe she should just sleep?_

"If the anchor woke up da'len," Solas spoke calmly with a hint of something else the archer was all too familiar with, "The rift pulling her may mean we will be up against stronger demons. We all need to be at our best to ensure nothing goes wrong," he sighed as he looked at Varric and Cassandra bickering once again then muttered, "Though that seems like it won't happen any time soon."

 _I'm gonna regret this,_ Sera shrugged and knelt beside the hedge mage as they worked together to unpack cookware, "Have one of them stay to keep watch here then." She cast a warning look and spat venomously, "If I see yer eyes on her arse I'll stripe you up, y'hear? She's mine."

"I already told you I know, I have no intention of coming between you two," Solas retorted, "You need not worry Sera. I do not have that sort of bond with the Inquisitor, I hold great respect for her but our relationship is merely platonic." _The fuck does that word mean?_ Still suspicious of the truth behind the words, _whatever s'long as he knows it's all good,_ the archer decided to shrug it off and head back to wake up Ellana.

 _One of these days I gotta remember to ask Ena why this-_ "Wake up, **First** ," _scares her so fuckin' much._ Sera crossed her arms and watched with amusement at the mage frantically bowing her head up and down, apologizing profusely on her knees and exclaiming it wasn't her fault. She knelt down and rested her hands on Lavellan's shoulders, "Oi, snap outta it Ena. I know ya didn't do anything," she chuckled at the confused look as the woman looked around, _precious._ She grabbed the front of Ellana's shirt and pulled in for a sensual kiss, whispering against her lips as she gazed in the smoldering coal eyes, "Or did you?"

"Not yet," the mage quipped huskily, "Tent or right here?" _Love it when she looks like that,_ Sera grinned mischievously and patted her cheek, ignoring the ache settled between her own thighs as best she could when she stood. She reveled in the pout and disappointed huff as Lavellan rose, sulkily murmuring as she brushed past, "Teasing me on purpose. Remind me to make you pay for that after I seal this stupid rift."

"What, not fired up about roasting demons anymore luv?" Sera laughed and shrugged innocently when the mage glared warningly at her, "That's whatcha get for picking a fight with me. Consider this my payback, Ena."

"Remind me next time not to be so stupid instead then," Lavellan grumbled as she walked towards the other three and murmured hoarsely under her breath, "Your scent is driving me insane," for a brief moment Sera actually regretted teasing. _Is it even worth it? Passing up a good frig,_ the archer shuddered at the heated whisper, "Later, I promise you I won't stop until your legs are shaking and the whole forest knows my name." _Or setting up an amazing one for later,_ she grinned at the frown on Solas's face as he turned away, _he heard too?_ _So_ _worth it then._

* * *

With Varric elected to stay back in camp to watch over the horses and work on stew for a certain mage's stomach currently growling loud enough to scare birds away, the group scaled along the cliffs on a thin trail to wherever it was the anchor pulled Ellana. The total downpour drenched them to the core, _not the kinda soaked I like,_ and forced Sera to walk as close as possible to the inferno mage in front of her who didn't even seem to be bothered whatsoever. Light steam rose from her skin as the cold water immediately boiled when it touched the mage's body, and the heat she still generated with ease was _a friggin' miracle itself,_ the archer glanced over her shoulder at the other two of the group and snickered quietly, _they look miserable. Suckers._ She accidentally bumped into Lavellan when the woman suddenly stopped yet it hadn't even budged her, _just what the fuck is she, a lamp post?_ "Down there," the mage pointed down the steep cliff and her eyebrows furrowed, "The anchor..." She rose her left hand as it glowed a bright green, "It's tingling more than usual." _Wonder if it hurts at all?_

Solas coughed and rose his voice, "The veil is-"

"Wobbly here," Sera interjected with amusement.

"Certainly not," a subtle smile tugged on the corners of Cassandra's mouth, "It's squeaky."

"What? Let me check. Sensing, _sense-y…_ Definitely wobbly." The two chuckled briefly when Solas sighed, yet all was lost when Ellana had a genuinely fascinated look on her face, "Before you ask luv-"

"How did you do that?!" Her head snapped to Solas, "I want to do that too Hahren. Have you been training Sera? I want to-"

"Ugh, it was a joke!" Sera groaned as the mage visibly deflated, "And you totally killed it too." _Now she looks like a kicked puppy,_ she sighed and opted to give Lavellan an apologetic kiss, snickering when the bright sunny smile was back on her face. _Even if it's raining harder than the Storm Coast her face lights-_ she abruptly cut off that thought- _now she's turning me into a cheesy honey tongue._ "Better?"

"The veil," Ellana grinned mischievously, "Is sexy here."

"Hah!" The women laughed as Solas rubbed his forehead and sighed again, grumbling to himself at the cruel abuse, _so weird when Ena says words like that but that's what makes it funnier._ "For me? You spoil me too much luv," Sera patted her cheek and carefully shifted to face the rift as she unsnapped the bow from it's holster-strap on the quiver, "Well, we gonna go shove arrows up demon arses or what?" She glanced down and her eyebrows furrowed at the thick mud caking her boots, "Stupid muck," her eyes trailed along and she stared at Lavellan's bare feet, _isn't it weird for her to be walking like that? Bet it feels gross too, but she don't look like she cares._ She zoned out as the other three talked about whatever it was they were talking about, _something about plans, don't they know Ena ain't gonna listen anyways? Only plan is to blow shit up._ Her lips quirked in an affectionate smile, _nice and simple, I like it too s'long as she don't explode and burn us too._ Startled out of her reverie when Ellana roughly squeezed her shoulder, she'd accidentally twisted her ankle when she turned abruptly and her foot sank deeper into the mud, "Fuck!"

"Sera!" The archer lost her balance and bow as she toppled over the cliff, the mud swallowed her boot and she began her descent down the steep hill, _fuck this is gonna hurt!_ She braced herself and cradled her head with her arms, confused when she felt her quiver dig into her back and looked only to find Lavellan shielding her as the two rolled down, _the hell is she doing?!_ The mage grunted and wrapped her arms tightly around Sera's shoulders, _her head, she needs to protect her head before flames spill out for brains and burn me!_ Ellana yelped when they crashed painfully at the bottom of the hill, the archer hastily scrambled out of the protective embrace and straddled the woman's waist as she wove her fingers in the firebrand hair to check for any bleeding.

"Talk to me Ena," Sera breathed nervously, "Say something besides groaning, didjya hit yer head? It hurting?"

"N-no," Ellana grunted and touched the back of her head to check herself, "Lucky. I feel like a halla had a party on my body though," _how the fuck does an animal get to have a party but I don't?!_ They stiffened and their heads snapped to the familiar sounds of the rift reacting to their presence, they vaguely heard Cassandra and Solas shouting at the top of the hill, "Off, quickly!" Sera shuffled back and attempted to stand until she cried out in pain, her ankle refused to cooperate and she gritted her teeth in frustration as the mage charged forward into the enemy ranks without her. _Fuck, where's my bow?!_ She frantically looked around until she spotted her bow perched atop a rock along the steep hill, _shit you gotta be kidding me!_ She dug her hands into the mud and attempted to climb up but her ankle refused to cooperate even when she tried to push past the pain, it'd give out instantly and she punched her fists against the ground in frustration. _Fuck sake!_ In the haze enveloping her mind she'd panicked when she heard the Solas shouting at Lavellan, she looked over her shoulder and her eyes widened in fear at a rage demon towering over her. Ellana herself had been too far away, scrambling on her hands and feet as she sprinted towards the archer, "Sera!" The demon stretched its palm towards her and molten fire began to form into a sphere, the air and smell of it made her nauseous and she clamped her hand over her mouth. Loud ringing settled in her ears along with a thick lump at her throat as fear gripped her, eyes squeezed shut as she braced herself for the inevitable agony. Tears squeezed out the corner of her eyes, _Ena, someone anyone please save me…!_

Seconds became minutes and minutes felt like hours, Sera reluctantly opened her eyes and gaped in shock at the elven woman in front of her, forearm risen above her head as she blocked one claw from swiping down and the other hand intertwined with the demon's hand that no longer spawned the fireball. The mage's feet dug into the mud as she tried to push back the demon, "M-my fire," she gritted out and huffed, "It won't work on it, not even the dragon's fire," _what?_ She rose her voice and shouted out loud, "Solas! Cassandra! Get your asses down here already!" The archer glanced up at the hill and only saw Solas gesturing with his hand as he cast spells from afar, _is Cass already on her way then? Where?!_ "Fuck!" Her head snapped back to Lavellan, "Fight fire with fucking fire," more steam rose from the drenched inferno mage, "If mine won't work, I'll just steal yours!" Ellana suddenly pulled away and quickly spun on her feet to gain momentum, rotating her torso and wrapping her elbow in explosive fire. She drove her elbow into the demon's stomach and forcefully blew it back yet the fire had no effect, she stretched out her left hand as she attempted to decipher the demon fire cloaking its body. Sera's eyes widened at the frightful display and she fell on her rear end when she twisted around, apart from the high pitched ringing in her ears she barely registered Solas shouting at the elven woman to stop.

Warnings unheeded, Lavellan suddenly howled in agony and fell to her knees, _what the fuck is happening to her?!_ From where she cowered Sera only saw the mage's back and the right arm tucked in the front as if clutching something, she tried to force herself to move and unsheath the dagger when the rage demon towered over Ellana. "Ena!" She clambered on to her hands and fell to the ground when her ankle gave on her again, she clenched her teeth in frustration and began to drag herself despite not having a clue what to do. Her heart felt like it was tearing to pieces as she watched the rage demon's arm raise in the air, "Stop, she'll die! Ena get up, do something!" The ringing in her ears increased tenfold and the nausea overwhelmed her as the claw began it's descent, yet just before it struck the mage Cassandra charged and slammed her shield against the side of the demon. Knocked to the ground she swiftly sank her sword into its head, its shrieks filling the air until finally it had begun to dissipate as it returned to the rift. Solas carefully climbed down the steep hill and grabbed the rogue's bow along the way, rushing to Lavellan's side after tossing it at Sera, _what the fuck is happening?_ Her eyes widened at the green summoning circles for the next wave of demons, "More coming, we have to get outta here!" Cassandra hooked the archer's arm around her neck and helped her stand, "Baldy! What the fuck is wrong with Ena?!"

Bright green mist swirled around Solas's hands and he hadn't responded, a look of intense concentration as sweat and rain trickled down his brow as he frantically healed the woman of whatever injury it was she sustained. _What the fuck is going on?!_ "Solas," Cassandra shouted, "Grab her and go, we must get out of here at once before we are overrun!" Suddenly Ellana's hand fell on the apostate's shoulder and she quivered as she struggled to stand, "Inquisitor you need to-"

"This is nothing," Lavellan grit vehemently, _I can't see anything, what's wrong with her?_ Sera looked up at the Seeker and Solas, both their eyes swirled with concern as the mage spat angrily with venom lacing each word, "We roast these fuckers, seal the rift, and have a fucking party after." Cassandra looked at the archer and nodded, Sera lowered on her knee and reached into her quiver, glancing over when her fingers swiped nothing but air, _must've lost most of 'em when I fell, only three left are you kidding me?_ She reached further over and plucked one, drawing the bowstring and waiting for the first demon to pop out of the circle. Cassandra rushed to retrieve the sword stabbed into the ground and Solas focused on trying to heal the inferno mage, _just what the fuck… Happened?_ Sera's stomach churned with worry when she'd caught a glimpse of the inner side of Ellana's left forearm, the scorched flesh bubbled and blistered, _she_ _got burned? How?!_ As soon as the demons appeared Sera wasted no time riddling the next rage demon with all the arrows she had left, she unsheathed the hip and thigh daggers then skillfully threw them so that they sank right in between the demon's eyes, whooping when it evaporated as the veil tear pulled it back. _Could it get any fucking worse?_ She frantically searched for anything else she could use, ignoring the trembling of her muscles when fear seized her at the sight of the pride demon on the field.

 _Shitting rain,_ she glanced down and attempted to tear off the antivan grenade secured to her belt, _pissing mud,_ her hands slipped and slid as she frustratedly tried to untie the knot of the rope holding the flask, _fuck why didn't I keep one dagger to cut this shite?!_ She looked up when Solas shouted at the mage again, "Da'len don't, you can't d-"

"I **can** and I **will**!" _She sounds really fucking pissed off,_ the pride demon saw Lavellan running towards it and reeled it's fist back, _what the fuck is she doing?! Dodge it!_ It punched down and it's fist collided with the ground instead, Ellana had jumped high in the air just in time and summoned fire to wrap around her legs to boost higher. Rising her arms above her head she gradually formed a ball of flame in between her palms as the vengeful fire waged war for dominance over the unforgiving downpour of the rain. _It's just like at the palace,_ at that Sera's eyes widened and she looked at Cassandra rushing to help the elven woman, _oh fuck!_

"Cass get away! If she don't burn you the smoke'll getcha!" The warrior heeded the warning too late and Lavellan brought her arms down as she released the massive fireball, the explosive force knocked Cassandra back as she flew backwards and smacked her head as she crashed into the ground, Solas immediately ran to her side and dropped his staff as he carefully cradled her head. He hastily tore off the flask off his belt then popped the lid open, pouring the red liquid in the warrior's mouth and tossing it aside to heal her with magic, _this daft tit hurt Cass and she isn't slowing down!_ "Ena, calm your tits the fuck down before you blow us all up!" The thick smoke blocked her sight and all she could see was the occasional arm of the pride demon swing out before it had been swallowed by the cloud of gray again, it's roars rivaled that of the thunder and shook the air. Her heart constricted painfully when she heard the mage scream angrily and the crackling of fire burst to life, the smoke rose and dissipated in the air. Sera's heart leaped to her throat as she watched Ellana sprinting up the length of the pride demon's arm, it's fists embedded and stuck in the mud, _she's insane!_ The mage jumped before she reached the spiked shoulder and rapidly twisted her torso, her legs wrapped with flames in a multitude of colors, the crimson hues burning the brightest and angrily lashing out at the rain in defiance.

"JUST DIE ALREADY!" Lavellan screamed with pure unbridled wrath, the first leg connected and the burst of fire chewed on the demon's face. As she spun, Sera clamped her hand over her mouth and repressed the urges to puke when she saw the extent of the mage's injuries, _doesn't all that fucking hurt?! No wonder she's pissed the fuck off!_ The second leg connected and the calf may as well have been flame itself, the explosive power jerked the demons head to the side and it's guttural shriek resounded in the air. Ellana quickly grabbed on to it's horns, pulling herself and simultaneously driving her blazing knee in with the last of her strength, the force had even knocked her back and sent the demon crashing into the ground before it helplessly faded away back to the rift.

"Ena!" Sera forced herself to stand and hopped on one foot to the elven woman on the ground, _stupid fucking mud, stupid demons, stupid Ena, stupid everything!_ Solas glanced back in a panic but stayed as he worked on Cassandra, _fuck sake!_ She heard Lavellan's pained ragged breathing and the grunts, "Don't move idiot! Yer making yourself worse you fuckin' daft tit, what the fuck do you think you're doing?!"

"Sera don't approach her right now," Solas warned with exhaustion clear in his tone, "It's dangerous!"

"What the fuck are you on 'bout?!" The archer shrieked angrily, "She's hurt real bad and this dumbass won't stop moving!"

" **Shut the fuck up** ," Ellana growled angrily, "Before I burn all of your fucking mouths off!" _What… The hell?_ Sera froze and gaped incredulously as the mage rolled on to her stomach and slowly pushed herself to stand, extending her marred arm towards the rift to seal it. At that she slumped back on her knees with elvhen curses freely pouring from her lips, a guttural cry filled with rage and agony echoed in the air as her scorched left arm clutched the side of her face.

"Baldy," Sera's voice trembled with fear as she looked at Solas, "What the hell is happening?" The hedge mage shook his head sadly and gestured to her for help with Cassandra. She wobbled over and winced when she accidentally stepped with her injured ankle, repressing the yelp at the spike of white-hot pain, _I can't complain, not when Ena's like that._ Solas reached over and grasped her injured ankle, "Oi…!" The man shook his head tiredly to signal not to protest as the green glow emanated from his hand, _fuck I'm gonna hurl._

"Need to," Solas stated breathlessly, "I need to tend to her while you carry Cassandra," _how the fuck am I s'posto do that?!_ "I strongly advise you be careful around her, she will be increasingly agitated and aggressive for a few days. She may explode without warning as well," _she already does that anyways though._ Solas stood and cautiously walked towards the inferno mage, "You're lucky Valor is familiar with anger and strong enough not to be twisted by it. That was reckless, absolutely reckless," he knelt and his hands hovered over her face, "What were you thinking da'len?" _So he tells me to be careful but then he says that? And what's that spirit whatever gotta do with this?_

"I said shut up or I'll turn you to fucking ash," Lavellan snapped angrily and slapped his hands away, "You'll pass out if you try to force out the magic, we head back to camp now." She rose abruptly and Sera struggled not to let nausea get the best of her as the mage strode to her, _fucked up, this is way too fucked up. What happened? Why's she like that?_ Ellana gazed at Cassandra and she murmured, "Now I look like what I am," _what? This again?_ She lifted the warrior with ease despite her injuries and glared at Sera when she was about to protest, she promptly sealed her lips together for fear of the woman lashing out on her next. The rogue couldn't help but gaze at the charred flesh that replaced half the tattooed vallaslin of Lavellan's face and ran down her neck, even the shirt that was supposedly made of material that could resist even the hottest of fires singed and frayed spanning down the length of the left side. _It's all… Blistered and bubbly…_ Her stomach twisted and wretched with nausea, her eyes watered and stung, _peeling, bleeding everywhere, that's got to be bloody hurting her and she's still carrying Cass. Why?_ Lavellan adjusted the warrior in her arms and gazed with sadness buried beneath the rage flashing dangerously in the amber specks of her right eye, her left iris pitch black and held no emotion whatsoever, _it's just like Crestwood all over again._ "Are you going to stare all day or move your ass?" She taunted bitterly as she turned around, "Or are you going to cry over a little twisted ankle, is that going to stop you?"

"Hey what the fuck?! It's not like I-" Sera's head snapped angrily when she felt a hand clamp over her mouth, Solas whispered warningly in her ear as the inferno mage wobbled off.

"That's not her speaking, she has been affected by the rage demon and as such anger guides her," _what the fuck?! So she's-_ as if sensing the archer's turmoil he hastily continued, "Not possessed, affected. I will explain more later but for now we should return to camp with all due haste." Sera nodded and he removed his palm, she glanced at the retreating form then back at the hedge mage.

"Tell me you can fix her, tell me her eye..." She trailed off when Solas grimaced and had a guilty look on his face, _no way… No friggin' way…_

"I'll do my best, but with the extent that she's been burned and that it was from internalized magic..." _The fuck does that mean?!_ He sighed miserably, "She's still going to have scars." He turned around and murmured quietly as he walked after Ellana, "Pray that the scars are the least of our worries." Guilt welled up in Sera and her eyebrows knit together, her features strained as she fought to suppress the tears, _it's my fault again, just like Crestwood…_ She jogged to catch up with the others and absent-mindlessly trailed behind the group with nothing but smothering silence and overbearing remorse as her company, her lips parted and she mumbled before her mind caught up with her.

"I'm sorry Ena..." She cringed when Lavellan glanced over her left shoulder, the charred flesh and ebony eye scarred her mind just as it scarred the mage's body. _Don't say anything because I already know,_ she averted her gaze to the ground and her legs nearly buckled just from the mage's heavy sigh, her heart slowly ripped apart as Ellana turned to continue walking in silence. Frustration gnawed at her and the world turned misty as she struggled not to cry, her head snapped up in awe of the woman's hushed whisper and her tears rolled freely at the unexpected words.

" _It's not a problem._ "


	31. Wrath is the Fire, Love is the Smoke

**Hope you** **don't** **enjoy, cheers mates!**

 **AN:** So I'm sorry for the really late update, apart from school and writing the other stories I lent the USB to my friend and realized too late that it was the same USB with Ena and Fen's chapters lol. Thus it stalled an extra 2 weeks of publishing XD.

 **Warning:** Things get  incredibly dark in this chapter and I'll be blunt so there's no surprises. The warning's here for forced sex, torture and [implied] rape. Ellana will also probably make you want to choke the life out of her, me too considering I'm writing this. Sera: "I'm not saying I'm going to violently choke yer stupid arse to death..." _That's exactly what you're saying!_ I now know how Syl feels :P All jokes aside… Don't enjoy this chapter.

On a lighter note, there's been quite a few updates since the last chapter in terms of what else I've been writing, if you're interested in something different or just more stories in general, have a look in my profile and see if there is something else you think you might enjoy. It's just in case if you're wondering where Ena's disappeared to or again if you're looking for something relatively different. As always I greatly appreciate all those who have been following and leaving me nice little review-gifts, here's to hoping all stories make you smile :) Also for those who've had to return to school (I feel ya trust me), I hope it's been going great for you! Enough rambling, **o** **n to the story!**

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _'Ma vhenan:_ My heart

 _Ma nuvenin:_ As you wish

 _Da'len:_ Little one/child

* * *

 **Wrath is the Fire, Love is the Smoke**

* * *

Camping had been dreaded more so than usual as the archer sat by the campfire, mindlessly poking it with a stick to adjust the charred logs. _Don't feel like Ena's fire,_ she noted as she gazed at the flickering flames, _they don't dance like hers do too._ The trees gave shelter from the harsh downpour and with it any light that might have come in, the camp itself was eerie and didn't help that it'd been silent save for the horses neighing and the fire crackling. Ellana and Solas had been in one of the tents with Cassandra for the past hour, Varric worriedly watched Sera when she scooted closer for more warmth as her clothes slowly dried. The dwarf wisely remained quiet but it hadn't taken much to figure out what had gone wrong with a pissed off Lavellan covered in burns carrying an unconscious Seeker, he watched Sera past the flames as he stirred the stew he'd started when the group left, "Wanna talk about it, Buttercup?"

"Nothin' to talk 'bout really," the rogue idly ripped grass strands and chucked them into the fire, "I fucked up again, is all."

"Something tells me it wasn't you that burned Phoenix so I doubt it's your fault."

"Not that nah, dunno how the fuck that happened." Sera shrugged as she pointed to the one foot missing a boot, "But it's because I fucked up that it did." Knowing Varric wasn't going to let up she sighed frustratedly and raked her damp hair back as she sped through the summary, "I fell off the cliff and the daft tit jumped off to shield me 'til we hit the bottom, demons came, she got burnt, blew away Cass by accident..." She shuddered as the battle with the pride demon replayed in her mind, she finished off quietly, "Ena kicked demon arse then did her knitting thing. Here we are." Her head snapped when something moved quickly in her peripheral vision, she worriedly watched the inferno mage exit the tent, her eye flashing dangerously with pure unbridled wrath. Not that Sera would dare say it out loud right now, but the woman's anger had been a sight to see sometimes, currently evident with the way Lavellan picked a poor tree to be her victim as she punched and kicked it. She exchanged concerned glances with Varric then steeled herself as she rose, cautiously walking over to the mage as she went through the motions of striking with her elbows or knees.

Wrestling with her shirt and tossing it behind her, Sera wisely kept her mouth shut and glared warningly at the dwarf when Ellana had only been covered with the thin string bra, her stomach churned when she'd come up along the mage's right side only to see the extent of the burns claiming territory on the left. The furious woman either hadn't acknowledged Sera's presence through the haze of anger, or she hadn't cared, there'd been no eye contact, no words, nothing but the sounds of her hitting the tree. She rose her arms high at her face with her fists at her eyebrows, balancing on the ball of her foot as her upper body leaned back and shot forth her knee at the tree. Though it'd been obvious, the awkward tension in the atmosphere compelled the rogue to ask anyways, "Whatcha doin' luv?" She winced when the mage froze, her knee risen to her elbow in a mock-block as both eyes snapped to hers, she suppressed the shiver as best she could when the pitch-black iris bore into hers, _there's nothing in that eye…_ And a multitude of emotions swirling in the fire of the other eye, waiting to explode.

"Carrying out punishment," came the gruff and surprisingly tame response as Lavellan continued her strikes, vicious rage laced in the undertone of the accent almost as if there had been a warning of some sort, _or holding herself from blowing_. The way the knees and elbows bled from their scrapes along with how the woman didn't flex her muscles nor wore her wraps to protect herself had been evident of exactly who the 'punishment' was for, _she's pissed at herself for what she did to Cass_. Feeling particularly bold, Sera braced herself and quipped teasingly in hopes to lighten the mood.

"What the fuck did the tree do to you?" Worried she'd messed up when the intense gaze fell on her again she averted her eyes to the ground, unable to look Lavellan in the eyes. Every time she did she couldn't help but stare at the pitch-black iris, even if she'd forced herself to look in the 'real' eye she'd subconsciously glance back at the one that no longer showed anything, perhaps because of her own fear of seeing what it was Ellana truly felt. Her head snapped up when the mage let out a quiet chuckle albeit obviously forced, the arms fell and the leg in the air lowered slow and controlled, the core muscles rippling as they worked in perfect harmony. Lavellan turned to face her fully and the archer's stomach churned, her eyes immediately trailing down the burn scars running down the side-length of the woman's ribs to her hip. _That's got to be fuckin' hurting,_ her eyebrows furrowed with frustration and guilt, her eyes watered as she inspected the rest of the burns.

"What do you see, when you look at me?" Came the soft question, the rogue looked up and her heart wrenched at the look of sorrow, she hesitantly stepped forward, _all I see's Ena_. Hand risen and glancing, her eyes a silent plea asking for permission to touch and Ellana nodded, "It doesn't hurt anymore, Solas healed everything he could." _Everything he could?_ Sera cautiously ran her finger along the inside of the left forearm, noting the mage no longer wore the arm band around her bicep anymore, _what happened, did it get burned off? Don't make sense if it starts down here,_ the mage held up her arm with her hand rotated upwards to the sky, showing the length of the scar running from the forearm to the palm, _does that mean…_ She couldn't bear think of it as her lips pursed in a thin line, her worst fears confirmed when Lavellan murmured quietly, "The scars are permanent." A sharp inhale, the archer swallowed the thick lump in her throat as her heart beat erratically, she blinked rapidly in a desperate attempt to stall the tears, "You reek of guilt. It's not your fault, 'ma vhenan."

"It **is** ," Sera spat back frustratedly, "Don't try to-"

"It was a foolish mistake on my part is what it was." Ellana urged and explained hastily with shame laced in her voice, "I tried to internalize demon fire so that I could create it," the mage teased gently, "That alone screams 'really fucking stupid'." _Don't really get it, but it does sound dumb._

"Heh," the rogue's lips quirked in a tiny smile, "Got that right, but you always do stupid stuff weirdo..." She steeled herself as she looked up at the pitch-black iris, her curious fingers following suit as she slid her palm along the length of the left face, _just yesterday I..._ The singed flesh chewed away the heavily-tattooed vallaslin and hadn't left any traces as if it'd never existed in the first place. _It's all gone…_ Memories of the way she'd kissed and paid more attention to the tattooed side surfaced, it'd been getting harder to breath and her lungs squeezed painfully as she choked out, "Ena..." _She don't have the scar on her forehead anymore either. Gone, just like that._

"It's not a problem," Ellana reassured and quite frankly it simply made the archer feel worse, _she's hurting and she's comforting me, why can't she get pissed at me for once? She's doing this all fuckin' wrong again,_ "It's not your fault, look at me." Sera subconsciously looked at the ebony eye first before she corrected herself and gazed at the 'real' eye, her own fluttered shut when the mage pulled her in for a tender kiss. Warm hands slid along to rest on her hips and the rogue wrapped her arms around Lavellan's shoulders, what started as a sensual and innocent kiss quickly escalated into something more as the elven woman battled with conflicting emotions of both passion and anger. They'd either ignored Varric's presence or hadn't cared, the dwarf shifted so that his back faced them as he continued working on the stew while jotting down some notes down, a proud smirk on his face.

"T-tent Ena," the archer murmured in between fervent kisses, wrapping her legs around Ellana's waist when she'd been lifted with ease, _don't wanna do this with friggin' Varric writing down everything, fuckin' creepy_. The mage walked blindly, occasionally glancing over Sera's shoulder to ensure she'd been going in the right direction, _gonna make sure Ena knows exactly what I see when I look at 'er._ Wrestling with the tent flaps with one hand, they'd ungracefully tumbled in and Lavellan lowered the rogue on the pelts, spinning on her heel and tying the flaps closed with ease. Within the same minute Sera quickly stripped only her leggings to tease, a mischievous grin on her face when the mage turned around and loved the way Ellana gaped at her with the same slack-jawed look, _like it's a fuckin' discovery for her every damn time._ "C'mere you," she murmured huskily and the tips of her ears flushed as she mumbled the words that still felt foreign, "Make love to me." _Fuck that feels as weird as I thought it would, fuck me is so much easier._ The effect made up for the awkwardness when the woman descended on her immediately, warm lips blazing along her throat and greedy hands ghosting along the creamy skin.

"Ma nuvenin," Lavellan chanted in between breaths, _the fuck does that mean again? Shit…_ "Always," Sera hissed in surprise when the mage sucked on the mark on her collarbone, gooseflesh rose and shivers crawled along her skin, contrasting with the inferno heat radiating from the campfire above her. Soon the woman's actions seemed more fervent and fierce, _she's rushing again as usual,_ Sera braced herself for the night of passion that usually left her with bruises and feeling like she'd been beaten up the next hour, _but fuck is it ever worth it. Wonder what angry sex would be like? The hell can I do to piss her off though? She's freaking burned and it's still no big deal, weirdo..._

"Cool down a little Ena," the rogue's stomach churned and she was beginning to feel uncomfortable, the heat itself felt different than usual. She'd shifted slightly, and the elven woman retaliated with a slight jerk to bring her back into the same spot. Though it'd always been hard to breathe with Ellana around, this time it'd felt more like it was trying to suffocate her lungs and she frowned when the woman didn't feel like complying. "Ena ar-"

"Shut up," the mage snapped and nipped the mark on the other side of Sera's neck roughly, the archer cried out in surprise. _What the hell is her problem? I don't get this, she was fine just a minute ago._ It was almost too easy to tell when Lavellan was telling her out of impatience and when it was out of anger, and this time it was definitely the latter. What little oxygen remained had been smothered by the intense heat and Sera's nerves frayed, she placed her palms on the woman's shoulders and endured the pins and needles from the stinging. _Fuck she's getting really hot, the heck is happening?_ When she'd pushed gently she yelped when her wrists were suddenly pulled above in retaliation, with far too much strength that hadn't even been needed, _there's a difference between her losing it and her just being plain pissed off._

 _ **I strongly advise you be careful around her, she will be increasingly agitated and aggressive for a few days. She may explode without warning as well.**_

"The fuck are you angry for? Calm yer tits do-" she'd been effectively cut off and her lips parted as a choked gasp tore from her throat when the mage nipped her mark again, and it occurred to her that the feelings of the smothering warmth felt familiar, _definitely felt this before._ Her eyebrows furrowed and she'd gritted her teeth when her skin stung as Ellana burnt down the middle to cut the shirt in half, _there goes the first shirt,_ she didn't dare point that out, _it don't usually hurt at all even when she burns though._ She cringed when the scorching hand knead her breast and she glanced down, her stomach churning when she saw it was the left singed palm, _feels like-_ she gulped and squirmed uncomfortably- _rubber._ "Ena," guilt welled up in her again and she cautiously pushed her wrists in the mage's grip, hoping Ellana would get the hint and release her, _what the fuck is going on?_ Another wince, her body had been boiling all over and when Lavellan pierced her collarbone mark with her canines she yelped in pain, her eyes squeezed shut in an attempt to stall the tears, "Ow- _shit!_ " _Fuck did she read my mind or somethin'? Hotter when we're both pissed off for angry sex though, this is only half the fun._

It dawned on her when she'd realized just what felt so familiar about the heat and clenched her jaw, _fuck,_ she wrestled against the strong grip and groaned when Lavellan jerked her wrists. She felt the mage's growl rumble through her and canines suddenly pulled out, Sera's own temper lashed against the cage as she felt nothing but anger course through her veins. _Just like Redcliffe,_ she bit her lip and accidentally drew blood, reminded when Ellana cried over the promise she made with the future her. _Exactly the same feeling,_ her back arched and she struggled against the grip once again, _wanna kill someone with my bare fucking hands._ The fire that threatened to consume the both of them had come from hell itself, their passion twisted into burning hot rage, _this ain't right._ Her head lulled back and a guttural moan vibrated in her throat when the scorching hand slid to her core and aggressively thrust in, "Stop," she choked out and her voice wavered, _she'll hate herself if she knows she hurt me outta anger instead of the usual sex._ A lump formed in her throat and anxiety welled up in her chest when she'd been reminded of the haunting dream, it hadn't helped when the ebony eye resembled that of the feral and emotionless ones from the imposter mage. "You got it all wrong again," she whispered and desperately fought to retain control over her own temper lest she snap and things escalated for the worse, "This ain't making love, Ena." _Nobody's gonna come help me._

"You're pissed off the deep end, calm down!" Nothing, her hips subconsciously arched and her eyebrows furrowed when she'd noticed Ellana watching her, mouth dry from fear and she struggled against the grasp pinning her wrists above her head. _Others probly think this is our usual tossing 'round the sheets._ "Let go of me," she pleaded and closed her eyes as she blinked away the tears before they fell, she'd felt boiling heat inside her and this time instead of the pleasurable sensations it'd actually hurt. _On my own, up to me to snap her outta it,_ "Fuck, put that shit out ye daft tit!" _I'm always shouting that to her._ Her back arched and she cried out again when the mage growled angrily, she felt a third finger push inside and stretch her, _more I fight, more pissed she'll get._ Her muscles painfully seized up and agonizing heat filled her from head to toe as if she'd been burning from the inside out, she couldn't help but scream the woman's name, her mind short-circuited from the pain. Pure unbridled wrath consumed her and so had the darkness that draped over her consciousness, abruptly pulling her into the abyss.

* * *

 _This again._ Snap, crack, flesh ripped. The same song and game she'd been more than familiar with, for it was engraved in her body. Abrasive ropes cut into her wrists, drew blood, the liquid always made her skin crawl as it slithered down her arms. Numb, emotionless, save for the agony as the spiked end of the whip tore into her back again and again, her torturer was bored. "Scream," he demanded flatly, uncaring, "This ain't any fun if you don't make noise," _like I fucking care_. She swung slightly, suspended by the ropes, her knees and shins scraped against the unforgiving stone ground beneath her. All of this because of a botched job, a friend sold her out, not that she could blame them since she'd probably do the same. It's every person out there for themselves first and was practically the first unwritten rule in the Jennies, the only person you could always trust to look after you was yourself. The traitor's family was held hostage and the mercenaries the noble hired demanded answers and names, how many of the other Jennies were here?

Stubborn and not willing to give the man any satisfaction, she bit her tongue and forcefully repressed the urges to scream. Eventually it had become easier, her mind too numb to register the agony and the sensations had become relatively tolerable. "I said scream," the torturer abandoned his whip and kicked her in the back, her knees scraped along the harsh stone when they'd dragged from the swing, the metallic taste flooded her mouth when she bit her tongue a little harder than usual. "Fuck," the man sighed and raked his hand through his matted hair, scratching the dirty scruff on his cheeks as he walked to the front and knelt down. "I'll give you food if you scream." _Not here for your fucking entertainment,_ Sera glared back silently, razor sharp slits narrowed in feral rage as she waited for her chance to lunge and tear this man's throat out with her teeth. _Just a bit closer,_ she glanced down at his neck, _rope's too short, need an inch more. He knows it._ Last time the man made this offer she'd foolishly taken it, sacrificing her stubborn pride in hopes to be untied and have a meal. The man had a twisted idea of what 'food' actually was: rotten vegetables, rat droppings, all tossed on the stone ground and out of her reach when he'd left her tied.

Seeing Sera wasn't going to take the bait, the torturer spat in her face and smacked her, "Fuckin' dirty knife-ear whore. I'll give you something to choke on." He stood abruptly and unbuckled his belt, the archer gritted her teeth and averted her gaze in shame, _this again. Worst part._ She hated the taste, hated the sounds the man made and his horrid stench. The smell of sweat and sex filled the air and the sticky feeling on her face absolutely repulsed her, she honestly wished the man would just kill her already. Last time she learned her lesson the hard way when she bit down with her canines in defiance, she endured the horrible taste and smell for it was better than being defiled and dehumanized. Eyes squeezed shut, she still refused to open her mouth until the degraded man roughly yanked down her sore jaw, Sera desperately tried to detach herself from the cruel reality and think that she was anywhere else but here. Something nagged her at the back of her mind and unbridled wrath suddenly coursed thickly through her veins, she heard someone shouting in the thick fog she'd protectively blanketed herself with. Blood drained from her arms for being suspended so long, her fingers merely twitched when she'd tried to clench into fists, nothing but blood-lust filled her and the consuming inferno of rage impaired her judgment. When the shouting disappeared, she tilted her head and steeled herself as she was about to make the worst decision of her life, she adjusted her canine directly over the intrusive organ in her mouth.

And bit down as hard as she could.

Shaken aggressively, her eyes snapped open and she'd abruptly been pulled back to reality. Fear seized her muscles and her eyes widened as she sat up and shuffled back, Ellana was the one who woke her and tears poured from just the normal eye. The ebony orb swirled with nothing, hollow and empty, the mage continued to chant apologies as sobs choked her and tears rolled down only one cheek. _What… Happened?_ Memories before she'd passed out from pain crashed down on her and her heart wrenched, her jaw slackened and her eyebrows furrowed as the woman who'd lost herself to rage was now deduced to a pile of snot and tears. Sera had no idea what to say, her throat dry and her own eyes stung as she gaped at Lavellan who'd bowed, her head touching the ground continuously crying out "Ir abelas" or "I'm so sorry", her voice frail yet still drenched in anger. Overwhelming emotions coursed through Sera's veins, she should have wanted to exact revenge, make the mage hurt for not listening to her, she  should have wanted to hurt Ellana. But now, staring at the broken woman, she didn't have the heart to say anything and all she felt was pity. "I promised," Lavellan seethed vehemently and her fists clenched, her head still bowed and touching the ground. Her voice cracked and she choked out, tiny and fragile, "I promised…!"

 _ **If I can help it, I would rather die than do that to you. I can prove it!**_

 _Move, stupid. It wasn't her fault, hug her. Tell her it's alright, that it's no problem coz at least it was her. It wasn't that bad, she just didn't listen but when does she ever? It's not a problem. It isn't._ Half of her completely disagreed, knowing it was exactly the mage's fault and that it ought to have been her crying, not Lavellan. What could one even say? She too had been angry, bitter and she knew she didn't have to speak, for Ellana more than likely sensed or smelled it. _So she remembers what she did, does she get what she did?_ Instead, she had to know, she whispered sorrowfully, "That wasn't makin' love, Ena. Why didn't you stop? Why didn't you hear me, this time?" The mage tensed, fell silent immediately, the heat in the tent intensified again and Sera reacted immediately, her fear skyrocketing at the familiar sensation of the hellish warmth enveloping her. Her own anger responded in kind, spurred and encouraged, yet instead of responding Lavellan abruptly rose and stormed out of the tent. She heard Varric and Solas asking what had been wrong but no response, and moments later the men quietly asked each other what they thought was wrong. Her heart numbed, she'd been emotionally burned out and her head already ached when she heard the dwarf mentioned he'd go check on Sera. As soon as the tent flaps opened, they heard a rage-filled howl and an explosion that followed soon after in the distance, Varric stared blankly at the archer's disheveled state of ripped clothing-or rather what scraps were left, she made no move to cover herself.

"Shit..." He breathed finally, he carefully worked off his jacket and knelt down, his eyes glued to her face as he gingerly wrapped it around her shoulders. "Buttercup I-"

"Shut up." Nothing could be said, she didn't want anything to be said. All she wanted was for the ordeal to be buried away, the remnants of the dream to disappear, and for everything to go back to normal, as it once was. She knew things would never be the same ever again and this only angered her even more, _I hate change._ She brought her legs up and hugged them to her chest as she rested her chin on her knees, staring blankly at the ground as the bitter feelings churned within her. _I hate her._ Her blood boiled with the need to load every single arrow she could in the woman who'd broken every single promise ever made with a single mistake. _She heard me. She just didn't listen._

* * *

 _ **Why didn't you stop? Why didn't you hear me, this time?**_

One foot in front of another, Ellana had kept moving in the open plains by herself and tried to keep her mind empty. Empty was better, for any other thought immediately instigated overpowering wrath and she'd want to do nothing more than to burn. But she couldn't burn herself, _not without another rage demon, which I've already looked for. Useless anchor._ And thus the world burned around her as she took it out on her surroundings, the guilt of setting ablaze things that had nothing to do with her fed into the infinite pool of rage and she'd sink lower in despair, a well with no bottom. Her temper cracked, and the dam threatened to break at the first wave of anger, _first I hurt Cassandra,_ she desperately tried to cut off all thoughts before they continued down the same path that's been repeated over and over again for the past two hours of traveling. She rose her fist in the air then knelt and drove it into the ground as hard as she could, _bad idea._ The pain encouraged anger, she couldn't stop her first reflexive reaction and flames spawned from her knuckles, instantly turning the grass into ash. She tried to extinguish it, though there hadn't been too much grass under the scorching sun and barren plains it didn't help she'd once again burned something that had done nothing to deserve it.

 _ **You've no talents beyond burning and killing everything. If you would actually**_ ** _listen_** _ **da'len, you would know how to control your magic and anger.**_

"Listen," she let out a wry chuckle as she muttered bitterly, "When have I ever fucking listened, right Keeper?" Her self-loathing made matters worse, she'd hated herself even more at the prospect of feeling sorry for herself and thus the vicious circle continued. What's more, when she came to and realized what she had done to Sera she'd seen little flashes, glimpses of her dream of the archer being whipped played within her mind and her fists clenched, the inferno from hell itself threatened to consume her very being. As she journeyed to what she assumed was the way to the Western Approach, she eventually noticed she'd black out periodically and would 'wake up' in a new area, it hadn't taken long for her to fit the pieces together when there would be soot covering the ground and ashes falling like snow. _Valor is struggling,_ she bit on her tongue hard enough to draw blood, between the anger and snapping she'd wanted to run away, cower and hide. _My soul is in danger,_ her eyebrows furrowed at that, _of separating and splitting into two. I need to stay as one._ Again she lashed out, she pulled her fist back and drove it into the ground, the explosive flames that shot forth made the dirt puff up and get into her eyes as she created a new tiny crater in the earth. _Even now that's who I think about?! Myself?!_ "Fenedhis!"

Tears stung her normal eye, she'd felt utterly ashamed that even now, despite everything she'd done she still craved the archer's scent, her voice, her grin, her mere presence. More carnal urges stirred in the depths and she promptly obliterated them, infuriated that the need to possess and remind Sera she belonged to her apparently seemed to be the most urgent of matters. She no longer trusted herself, the intense desire to make it up to the rogue by showing her what making love truly entailed had been considered a lie, knowing it was more than likely the anger's influence once again. She looked at the singed flesh of her inner forearm, mocking insults played in the back of her mind and she chewed on her lip, she'd wanting nothing more than to curl up in a ball and hide somewhere already.

Little black dots bounced around in her vision and she gritted her teeth, _not good. I have to fight,_ her fingers dug into the dirt and she pushed herself up, forcing her muscles to move as she walked again. _The opposite of Valor is cowardice, and I can't afford to run. I can't run, period, I have to own up to my mistakes._ She glanced over her shoulder, her heart faltered and exhaustion burrowed within every inch of both body and mind, _I was selfish again. I ran away when I should have stayed to fight._ Resolve renewed, she stood and waited, determined to be patient no matter what until she'd seen her fellow companions riding in the distance. _Whatever punishment may come, I accept._ "I promise it, Sera," she burned away the hollow emptiness filling her as she gazed in the direction Sera ought to come from, fire in her eyes as she steeled herself. "I will do everything in my power and more to make it up to you. Every day for as long as I live." _I won't touch her like that ever again._

* * *

Eerie silence and thick tension nearly radiated in the atmosphere of the group. Sera quietly changed into her extra set of clothes, she'd dismissed the others' concerns by gritting out that it had been fine when it so clearly wasn't, and she chuckled bitterly. "It's not a problem," the words were like fuel to the fire that snuffed out within her, it'd been nothing but embers and only reminded her of the empty dark hole that must have been physically punched in her, or at least that's how it felt. She'd grown weary of the looks, and when Cassandra had finally come out of her tent and learned of what had happened, the warrior immediately went to Sera but didn't know what to do. She'd moved forward for an awkward hug until the rogue leaned away, "Fuck ye daft tits, lay off already. Ena's done worse yeah? Usual hardcore frigging and she just went a bit rougher this time is all. Rough play all the time, always sore. She probly got too caught up in the excitement this time, y'know, battle-lust and shite, yeah?"

"Sera..." Cassandra exchanged nervous glances with the two men then back to the archer, "You're allowed to be angry."

"Thanks for the permission O Seeker of Seekers," the archer spat heatedly, she tossed her ripped clothes aside and made way for her steed, "C'mon, there's arseholes that need arrows and a world that needs fixing. That bloody daft twat probly got lost or blew herself up." She grabbed on to the saddle horn and hoisted herself then looked at Cassandra, "You gotta knock 'er 'round a bit or she's gonna beat up more trees. She felt like shite 'bout you." She purposefully ignored the looks from Solas, she didn't want to open herself up for another lecture despite the hedge mage's warning. Varric had guilt etched in his eyes and Cassandra ensured to berate him, giving him a hard thwack across the head to which he hadn't even protested to. _Wasn't his fault, I shouted the same shite I always shout with Ena is all. It just got rougher than usual._

Packing up camp, nobody irritatedly asked Sera to help out and she sighed frustratedly at the despondent companions, _Cass and Varric aren't bickerin' and Baldy ain't being annoying._ "Jeez I'm touched yer worried but it's fine yeah? Bit of a sting won't kill me, y'know Ena usually gives me bruises on my tits and arse with how hard we frig?" An embarrassed cough from the Seeker and the archer grinned, "See what I mean? We both packed lotsa extra clothes coz we knew this'd happen, so quit lookin' so fuckin' mopey. Pissin' me off more." _More?_ She'd subconsciously squeezed on the reins, as much as she tried to convince herself everything was okay, she couldn't help but feel anger. Everything she said rang true but… _It still hurts. A lot. Been through way worse but Ena promised..._

 _ **Don't say I didn't warn ya, told you trust like that's gonna get you burned some day.**_

 _Somethin' I always knew, and instead I'm daft like Ena._ Jaw clenching, she averted her gaze so the others didn't see her face and glared at the trees, she felt stupid for being just as naive if not more than the elven woman. _Bad shite always happens when she don't listen. Will it get through her fuckin' thick head now?_

 _ **In that case I'm glad it's your fire.**_

Chewing on her lip, she'd been relieved when the others announced they were ready to head out. Solas had said it shouldn't have been difficult to trace Lavellan's footsteps so long as he had magic to sense and follow, _well, he was right._ As soon as the wove out of the forest and into the clearing, the clues pretty much slapped them in the face, "Well Chuckles," Varric quipped grimly, "At this point I think all we have to do is follow what's left if we want to find her." The barren landscape was decorated with a few small craters, soot and ashes. A regular healthy tree was a rare sight and Sera grimaced, _she's destroying everything around her. Everything's burned to hell._ "Everywhere we look, everywhere we turn, only fire… Whole world's burning, she'd make Corypheus jealous." _That's kinda creepy._ Mental images of Ellana as some sort of mad being aspiring to godhood bounced in the rogue's mind: the elven woman on fire and blasting craters with a massive shit-eating grin on her face, _oh wait she's already doing that. Minus the daft god bits._

"We must find her with all due haste," Solas remarked suddenly, "She needs help. I will not lose another friend because their nature is being twisted." _What?_

"What does that mean Solas?" Cassandra inquired, "What is the Inquisitor in danger of?"

"You're well aware of the spirit that's merged with her, yes? Valor." The Seeker nodded and Sera suppressed a shudder, a thankfully-hazy memory of orange glowing lines on the elven woman's body flashed briefly. Solas tensed on the reins and squeezed his heels in, the group following close behind as they signaled their horses to a canter and shouting so the others heard. "Valor is under a great deal of strain because of the rage it must contend with, the Inquisitor's soul may very well split into two." _Didn't he say that could kill her?_ "Not only that but she has run away when such anger would have clouded her mind, she'd have sooner blown up inside the camp with all of us in it. Instead she's chosen to run away because she's scared of something, and the opposite of Valor is..."

"Cowardice, shit." Varric murmured, "Out of the fire and into the blizzard, things always go from bad to worse. Is there a time when something hasn't gone sour for once? Just once?" The group was silent, there'd been no sarcastic jokes and the others stole nervous glances at Sera when her eyes remained on the path, scanning the barren plains in an attempt to stave off her own concern. _S'posto be angry, not scared. Am angry, scared too. Shouldn't be…_ She chewed on her lip and signaled the horse to gallop, brushing past Solas and ignoring the worried calls behind her. _Won't be so hard to find where she is, gonna find her and give her a tongue thrashing. If she thinks she can run and hide after what she done she's got another thing coming._ The landscape blurred and soon the only colors she could see were brown, black or gray, _shite just how far did she make it?_ It had probably been an hour of nonstop riding, and at the speed the companions rode at they should have been nearing the Exalted Plains if they weren't already in it. It'd been difficult to tell what with everything razed to the ground, but eventually the ashes grew farther apart and there were things burning in the distance. All that remained to figure out was if it was the result of a pissed off madwoman or because of the recent civil war, no doubt there were still soldiers with grudges at each others' throats here.

Easing on the reins and heels they'd slowed and took a look around, soon enough the clues were obscured and Sera grimaced, "The fuck is wrong with everyone burning shite to hell? Shit's sake..." They stopped at the closest Inquisition camp and asked for information, but all the scouts had to say was that the Herald passed by and seemed relatively upset, _yeah that's a fucking understatement,_ with fists set ablaze, _and that's 'relatively upset'? Eh well she's always lighting her friggin' arse on fire and hot under the collar so it's no surprise to 'em either._ She tilted her head up and zoned out on the others conversing for ideas to follow the mage's trail, there were too many footprints -even without boots- engraved in the soft muck of the earth. Following the fire and ashes was no longer an option, _and the idiot probly got lost, walked in circles. But at least we know she's been here, so where'd she go next?_ A tentative smell, she was certain there was a hint of spice in the air and she directed her horse to follow the faint scent, ignoring the companions calling out to her. _S'like that time when Baldy and I went to find her with Beardy at the pond, same smell._ She bunched up the reins in one hand and unsnapped the strap securing her bow to the back of the saddle, alert just in case if there would be any ambushes from either bandits, venatori, soldiers, cultists, and generally all-around assholes, _fuck there's too many dickheads that wanna kill us. The fuck's wrong with this world?_

"Sera, do you perhaps know where the Inquisitor is?" Cassandra directed her horse to trot beside the archer and Varric avoided meeting her eyes, still feeling guilty that he had not taken action sooner. The dwarf reluctantly held on to the Seeker's hips, his eyes darting left and right along the barren plains.

Shrugging, the rogue answered simply, "Think I smell her. Only lead we got right now, yeah?"

"And what is this smell?" Solas inquired hesitantly, "Can you explain it?"

"Not really," Sera's lips pursed in a thin line as she frowned, "Spicy, I mean the ashes and wood burning thing could be exactly what the fuck this whole place smells like, but… Well," she jerked her head to the path she had followed as they entered a valley between mountains, "Spicy scent getting stronger this way."

"Hey, you think, well you said Phoenix tried to do something with a rage demon right?" Varric hummed in thought, "Do you think it's got anything to do when she tried it with the dragon too?" _Well yeah, but she didn't go batshit insane. Well she did, but that was coz of the dream or somethin' like that._

 _ **Not a dream. A nightmare.**_

 _Fuck. We both been having them lately looks like, but I don't gotta worry 'bout blowing up._ " **What**?" Solas looked positively worried now, "She attempted to internalize magic from a dragon as well?"

"Attempted and succeeded," the dwarf's eyebrow rose and the others stared at Solas, exchanging nervous glances from the blatant concern. "Uh, that's a bad thing I take it? Helped us kill the dragon," _more like stopped her arse from getting fried,_ "I'd say that's good news." The hedge mage gazed at Sera for a while and she shuddered, _the fuck's his problem?_

"Eyes off, the fuck you starin' at me for? Creepy."

"Solas?" Cassandra's eyes narrowed skeptically, "Is there something the matter?" They'd rounded the corner and the scent was growing stronger, along with metal akin to wet muck and raw iron mixed together, _blood. Lots of it. Shit... What'd Ena do_ _now_ _?_

"No," the hedge mage shook his head and his eyebrows knitted in concentration, "Surprised that da'len attempted and survived such an attempt. She's remarkably strong-willed..." _Think it's just coz she was excited 'bout fighting a fuckin' dragon is all. And stupid. Lucky too, real lucky._ The closer it seemed they'd gotten, the more nervous Sera grew and her stomach churned of nausea, _this whole place feels wrong._ "Sera, has the Inquisitor behaved more… Territorial since the dragon fight?"

"Uh… You mean like, biting? Coz she bites lots, obsessed with it. We both bite," her lips spread in a grin at the Seeker's disgusted noise, she shifted to grab the bow with the hands that held the reins and yanked off the kerchief around her neck. "See? Two marks that stay coz she keeps biting the same friggin' spot, uh I can't see 'em though," another noise and she chuckled at Cassandra, "Yer just jealous you don't got nobody to mark up." She jerked in retaliation when Solas suddenly came closer and reached, she swatted his hand away, "Oi! The fuck?! Keep yer perv hands to yourself Baldy, no elfy glory with us!"

A groan, "I merely wish to inspect the mark on your collarbone and neck, they're no ordinary marks." _What?_ She stared dumbfounded, mind turning and stomach churning with her gut feeling informing her it wasn't anything she'd wanted to hear, _what the fuck else could they be? She bites and it's a mark, like what I do._ Solas sensed the inquiry, "It appears there's traces of magic in these marks, allowing them to be permanent and more than likely sensitive to the Inquisitor's touch." Sera's heart beat erratically but for the wrong reason, her palms clammed up and her mouth dry as if cotton balls were stuffed inside, _magic? There's magic_ _ **in**_ _me? All the time?_ Varric murmured that something was about to blow and Cassandra had tried calling out to the archer, though it'd been too late. Pure wrath clouded her mind and she snapped, she jerked on the reins and signaled the horse to go faster, trailing the scent that may have well smacked her in the face at this point.

" **Too far** , too fucking far," Sera seethed with venom practically dripping from her tongue, "She's gonna get a fucking arrow up her arse for this. A fuckin' smack right 'cross the head, punch in the face, kick in the gut, and arrow right up the friggin' arsehole. Spit too. Piss. **Fuck**." Another corner, the thin path of which the mountains sandwiched them in seemed to open up more, and the scent of blood was positively nauseating. The archer screamed, "ENA! I GOT AN ARSE TO KICK, YOURS!" _She never fucking asked, she never friggin' said anything 'bout it. She just fucking did what she wanted, like usual, she never fucking listens._ Unshed tears of frustration stung her eyes, _she knows magic scares the fuck out of me, why'd she do this?_ It hadn't been enough for her body to be used, abused, trampled on, her mind and emotions, her very being had to be treated the same way. _Just like all the other pricks I ever dated._ _Didn't she care, the fuck did I do to her to deserve this?_ She couldn't hold it in anymore, she eased on the reins and slid off the saddle without waiting for the horse to make a proper stop and doubled over as she abandoned her bow. Her hand clamped over her mouth and she desperately heaved for air, _the fuck did I do to you Ena?_ Eyes squeezed shut, the nausea overwhelmed her senses and the lukewarm vomit traveled up without even a single effort to fight it back, she vaguely registered an armored gauntlet rubbing as soothingly as it could and Cassandra's concerned prompts barely made it through the thick miserable red haze swallowing her thoughts. _Liar, she's a liar and a prick like everybody else. Stupid to think the bloody hero's a good guy, perfect and shining armor and shite._

"Not enough," Sera spat exhaustively, "It wasn't enough for her, she had to-" her teeth grit loudly and her jaw hurt from how tightly it clenched, she fought off the tears and rapidly blinked them away. "The fuck's her problem? The fuck did I do to deserve this shite?" The ringing in her ears gradually faded away when Cassandra offered a flask of water, she felt something cool lay against the back of her neck and helped ease the fraying nerves, the trembling temper. She'd been gently pulled to sit on her haunches, her head lulled back and she glared at the blue sky, _so pretty, so fucking pretty today. Why can't it piss rain, so the sky feels like shite like me?_ She took deep gulps of air and cursed the quivering burrowed deep in her muscles, she hoped not but she was sure she must have been shaking like a leaf, either from anger or fear of the knowledge that magic was **inside** her, she didn't know nor care. _Just want it to stop. One thing after another, everything goin' to hell too fucking fast. Corphyspit just needs to come along now, seal the deal._ Her head snapped and she glared angrily at Solas, "The fuck did you tell me for Baldy? Must be fucking happy seeing me like this, huh? Well news for you, I don't hop and dance 'bout creepy arse magic rubbish like you and flames-for-fucking-brains do."

"If it's any consolation, the magic is purely superficial and the energy remains on your skin only. It more than likely triggers and reacts to da'lens magic, and to answer your question I was going to ask if the marks were reacting to her presence." _What…?_ Solas remained quiet and as calm as ever, offering the archer the time to digest the information.

Swallowing the thick lump in her throat she croaked out hoarsely, "Reacting… How?"

"You've mentioned the sense of smell, that's more than likely due to the… Ritual you two have done to be bond-mates," _bond-mate, that word, I remember it. Fuckin' ritual sounds creepy as fuck, but so was Ena touchin' my face with freaking fire._ "To put it simply, you two are connected and your bodies may undergo through subtle changes, though it seems to be you must be within a certain distance as such-hence the smell. You should also feel some semblance of what she is feeling, and she can do the same for you so it's natural if you're more angry than usual as well." _So there's more fucking magic rubbish because of this bond-mate shite?!_

 _ **You let me see the vulnerable side of you, the sensitive part of your soul,**_ ** _fuck_** _ **Sera you shrugged it off like it was no big deal when I told you our hearts are**_ ** _one_** _ **. Our souls are connected. That we're bond-mates for**_ ** _life_** _ **.**_

 _Shrugged it off coz I didn't think you meant we're_ _literally_ _fucking 'connected' or whatever, fuck!_ "The marks may be reacting as they normally would if da'len... Touched them. That is if she is currently practicing her magic, which in this current circumstance is not wise but she **is** struggling with powerful rage coursing through her system."

"So Buttercup is like a mabari hound and Phoenix is the half-chewed bone, I got that right?" Varric quipped cheekily in an attempt to lighten the tense atmosphere and the rogue flashed a murderous glare before chuckling as she thought about it, _he ain't too far off I guess. Damn straight_ _I'm_ _the hound and not the bone._

"Well," the archer sighed frustratedly and raked her hand through her hair, she rose slowly with Cassandra's help and finished the rest of the water in the flask before tossing it away. "They tingle a little, and I'm pissed the fuck off but that's coz flames-for-brains burned me and ran the fuck away. She'll get what's coming to her."

"I understand how you must be feeling," _the fucking_ _nerve_ _, he's got_ _no_ _fuckin' clue what either of us are going through._ "But da'len **is** needed to restore order to the world and defeat Corypheus." Sera's fists clenched and unclenched, she'd itched to shove an arrow in the apostate's mouth instead, _I ain't daft, I know that._ "There are also the matters of the breach and-" the slap resounded in the narrow path, Cassandra and Varric knew it had been coming and were honestly wondering where Solas' bravery came from to spout such nonsense.

" **First off** ," Sera seethed vehemently, "You got **no** clue what I feel, fuckin' arsehole. Second I **know** Ena's a bloody hero, I ain't gonna kill her you friggin' daft twat. Just said she's gonna get what's coming to her," she stomped to retrieve her bow and brushed past the others, intentionally bumping roughly into Solas' shoulder, "Don't talk like you know us, coz you don't have a fuckin' clue, notta one." She marched down the trail and her eyes hardened like steel, she ran her thumb along the bowstring in a futile attempt to calm her teetering temper. Soon all she could smell was blood, ash and spice, even if she inhaled through her mouth the scent smothered her. Out of caution she plucked one arrow from her quiver and readied herself, aiming and carefully shuffling as she checked around the next corner, her heart fell to the pits of her stomach and her blood froze at the haunting sight, _what the fuck...?_ She eased the arrow off the nock and put it back in her quiver, standing and gaping at the numerous corpses of what looked like it  used to be halla. The white skin singed and warred crimson red for territory, the mass slaughter gradually turned into an area of plain ash as the circle closed tighter. In the middle of it all knelt Ellana, head hung dejectedly and tears rolling down the one cheek, chanting in a frail and choked voice, oblivious to the presence of her companions. _Ena..._

"They trusted me. They trusted me," fingers clutched the ashen earth and flames periodically spurred from the knuckles. "They trusted me."

"Maker..." Cassandra breathed, "What… Did she do to all the halla? Why are they surrounding her like that?"

"It appears they gathered around, possibly in an attempt to comfort her," Solas murmured, "And in her blind rage she'd exploded, burned them all." _Fuck Ena… Why?_

 _ **Sera, you are my bond-mate. You are someone I trust with my life and someone I trust with all of me. The good and the bad, you've seen the worst of me and yet still think the best.**_

A low and heavy sigh, against her better judgment Sera carefully unstrapped her quiver and slowly lowered her weapons to the ground. "Sera," Cassandra hissed worriedly, "What in Maker's name are you doing?" _Hell if I know._ She shook her head, the fire that burned within her extinguished at the sight of the despondent woman, the heart-wrenching cries compelled the rogue to do something but she wasn't quite sure what. Then again she'd mostly relied on action and feeling instead, or perhaps it was the connection that apparently linked her to the broken mage, in which her anger had been replaced by grief and sympathy. Or was it pity?

"It is unwise to approach her in the state she is in now," Solas warned, "At any moment, you may end up like the halla."

"Right, so yer suggestin' I stand here waiting, watch till she blows up and kills us anyways right?" Sera's eyes narrowed as she glared at the apostate who'd averted his gaze, seemingly conceding to her point, "That's what I thought." Carefully, quietly, she walked towards Ellana, her hands risen in a mock-surrender when the woman's head shot up. "Hey Ena..." _Fuck what the hell else m'I s'posto say?_ She lifted her foot, stealing quick glances at the ground to ensure she'd stepped in the spaces between the dead halla and tried to ignore the rotting stench, _how long has she been here? She's covered in dirt, ash, blood, soot, just what_ _isn't_ _on her?_

"S-stay away," Lavellan quivered and fell on her rear-end, she'd retreated backwards on her hands and feet, "Please, Sera, I don't want to hurt you, I'll hurt you again. I don't want to," _fuck ye daft tit this is scary 'nough, didjya havta go and say that, make it scarier?_ Despite the fear and tension in the atmosphere the archer pressed on, ignoring the chanted pleas, "Stay away, don't do the same thing the halla tried. They trusted me, tried to comfort me, you trusted me, tried to comfort me... And I burned everybody, everything. I'm dangerous," _can you shut up? Legs are getting heavier and I'm fucking shaking._ Another step, the thick lump lodged in the rogue's throat made it difficult to even swallow for spit, her eyes remained locked on the one that shone bright with tears. Even the amber specks in the 'real' eye flickered on and off, it'd been set to extinguish at any moment and Sera desperately hoped that wouldn't involve an explosion and being crater-fied herself. "Sera..." The shaking, trembling in the frail voice, the way it choked and sobbed, the way tears rolled freely down the one cheek, _one side only. She can only cry with one eye now, my fault. We both made mistakes. She was the bigger tit,_ anger flared momentarily, _but she saved me, did somethin' stupid, still doing stupid stuff. I'm still pissed at her but…_ " _ **Please**_ _,_ " Ellana's voice wavered and cracked, she wheezed in between harsh breaths, "I can't stand the thought of hurting you, just like the man," _what?_ "Not again. Please, not again..."

"Then don't, and I **know** you won't," Sera forced out, _well I don't know, but I'm fucking hoping and actually praying to Andraste._ She cautiously lowered to her knees and reached out to the mage who flinched in retaliation, _thinks I'll smack her, ought to. Later, for sure, when she's got her head back on her shoulders and not gonna blow up for knockin' sense in her head. For now though,_ she gently slid her arms around Lavellan's neck and slowly pulled her, cradling the woman's head to her bosom and resting her chin on top of the disheveled firebrand hair. "So you fucked up, we all do luv… Running away don't fix things though." Tears soaked through her shirt and she grimaced at the sticky-wet sensation, the way fingers tightly bunched up her shirt at her stomach and the stench of blood that drenched the mage's tattered clothes. "It's alright to be scared," she whispered and felt Lavellan stiffen, knowing she'd hit the bulls-eye and unsure of how she'd even known that's what the mage was truly dreading. "But, remember what you told me Ena? What **you** taught me?" _Even though she said I taught her, which was daft._ She parted, tilted the woman's head up by her chin and somehow, somewhere, a soft reassuring smile still made it to Sera's face and she herself didn't understand where it had all been coming from. _Natural, I guess._ Her heart squeezed painfully at the eyes that desperately hung on to a thin thread of life, that desperately clung to  her of all people, _like she said once, I'm her fire when hers snuffs out._

 _ **There is a small flame that flickers in you despite the darkness choking you.**_

"Hope is the only thing stronger than fear."


	32. Set the Prisoner Free

**Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!**

 **Publish Date:** 11-06-2015

 **AN:** Whew, what a long time since I've worked on this story huh o_O? Time flew by so fast with the other ones that I hadn't even realized it's been a full month with Ena, sorry for that lol. Just so I can keep track myself in terms of when the stories are updated and how often, the publish date thing is there (also so that I can keep up with a personal goal of at least 2 updates of any story each week). I can't exactly control where ideas pop up for which story, but at least it's there for me to see and think 'now might be a good time to give Ena some love after a month of neglect o_o' lol. What else… So happy thanksgiving, Oktoberfest, Halloween and mid terms lol. One more month until Christmas and new years, insane how fast time flies huh? And this story started what, end of May-ish, it's weird to see my very first few chapters and compare it to now. Gods are they ever horrid, I'm so glad people were patient enough to stay on the bumpy ride and hope it still isn't bumpy lol. If I ever get stumped on ideas I'll have to do a massive editing haul of this story I think. Some cheesy 'wise' stuff in this chapter this time, I brought the reminiscence back in the damn title finally :x Hopefully it's enough to make up for the month long wait anyways D: Sorry for that again mates lol.

 **Terra vs Ena:** I got an interesting pm the other day asking what it would look like if Terra and Ena had to fight each other. It's pretty scary, because after all four stories are done (or perhaps even halfway through when I can no longer resist the urge to set this idea in motion and write) I had actually wanted to write a wacky story where **all four Lavellans** are brought together, to determine who is 'the one' for Sera lol. Mayhem is  expected to ensue and become the norm of every chapter :P I thought of which elements would be most likely to clash and at first I thought water and fire, but then I shook my head mm no I don't think Fen would actively engage in any such competition but rather to try and conquer through peace lol. "Peaceful solutions are the best solutions" after all :P

Then I figured Syl would just play with their minds also thereby avoiding a direct fight (plus she's lazy, so why fight with fists when you can fight with brains?) And last but not least Ena and Terra. They'd fight because why not? To them it'd be both fun and 'good training' and they'd probably forget about Sera when they fight for the sake of it. Ena would Q_Q saying Terra isn't being fair with all those weapons and such, so Terra being the honorable and literal person she is proceeds to strip all her weapons. Everybody jaw drops at the massive pile beside the tiny elf, and mayhem fighting ensues :P As for the 'winner' of the fight between Ena and Terra, it really depends on circumstances, and there's a lot to cover. We'd have to factor in whether magic can be used or not, as well as if there are certain rules in place, etc. We'll see when I write that side story, I don't want to spoil all of my ideas so it'll be at least somewhat of a surprise and hopefully funny when you read it.

 **Recap:** Just to help jog the memory from the last couple chapters. So far the band is in the exalted plains, with the intention of traveling to the Western Approach to meet Hawke and Warden Alistair. They've run into a rift with stronger demons than they're used to, Ena ended up with burns along her left side and has excessive aggressive/angry energy in her system when she tried to merge a rage demon's fire with her own. As such, her emotions were influenced and she ended up hurting both Sera and Cassandra, later running away so that she wouldn't end up accidentally hurting her companions anymore. By the end of chapter 31, the band finds Ena again when she had accidentally killed a group of halla that tried to comfort her (similar to when she had accidentally killed her dalish clan's halla back in the day). Now with the help of the others, Ena struggles with the concept of forgiveness as she works to overcome the rage in her system. Hope this helps :) Anyways enough rambling, **on with the story!**

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _Da'len:_ Little one/little child (not meant to disrespect but rather a fond pet name)

 _Hahren:_ wise person, elder, teacher

 _Ir abelas:_ I'm sorry

 _'ma vhenan:_ My heart ('ma for emma which means my)

 _Ma nuvenin:_ As you wish (ma without the ' means you)

 _Elgar'nan:_ God of Vengeance (elvhen pantheon)

 _Ar lasa mala revas:_ I give you your freedom, aka "you are free"

 _Ma emma sa'lath:_ You are my one and only love

* * *

 **Set the Prisoner Free**

* * *

Willingly shackled and under constant watch, Ellana knelt and fought not to fall asleep. She'd been constantly sapped of magic either by Solas or Cassandra, and the two were also weary over using their abilities over and over again on a woman who's anger knew no such thing as rest. Sleeping was the worst, for Lavellan would swiftly slip in a nightmare that showed her things she absolutely loathed, heard voices that made her muscles crawl and magic flare up. It hadn't helped when she could smell the mixture of both anger and fear from Sera no matter how far she was, her and Varric scouted ahead away from their temporary camp as advised by Solas when Ellana unwillingly reacted to the scent of anger radiating from the archer. Listening to Solas' calming cues proved useless, no matter what she couldn't enter a meditative state but at least she had gotten better at dealing with abrupt mood swings, it was just her fire that was the issue now. What hurt the most was not being able to be by the rogue's side, she was no longer the bond-mate, the protector, the hero, the weirdo with the grin that would prove there was no problem.

 _She_ was the feral animal, the prisoner, _the_ enemy.

"Solas," Cassandra started tiredly, and Lavellan bowed her head guiltily for causing her companions so much harm and trouble, _I'm always causing trouble for everybody._ "Isn't there another way that doesn't involve us constantly using our abilities? We will burn out at this rate, there's only so much energy we have and so long we can last." _She hasn't even gotten angry at me when I got her caught in the blast. She can't, because this stupid rage-_ she cut off the thought abruptly before her temper frayed and lashed out. It was difficult to find calm and peace when even she knew that not only was all of this **definitely** a problem…

But that _she_ was the reason, the cause, _the_ problem.

"A temporary charm, indeed. However I fear it's effects may not be as strong as our combined abilities." Ellana's head bowed further down, she stared blankly at the way her palms scratched the ashen earth, _there's not even grass. Because of me._ "It's safer this way." _All this, because of my mistake. Others shouldn't be paying for my mistake…_ "Da'len," the elven mage's head snapped up, her heart felt heavier upon seeing Solas' weary yet reassuring smile, "In order to heal we must first forgive… And sometimes the person we must forgive," the hedge mage carefully knelt and squeezed her shoulder, "Is ourselves. I'm certain that if you knew this would happen, you would have never done it in the first place."

"But that doesn't excuse that I did do it, and this is the result now." She hovered her left hand in front of her face, her eyes darting down to the burnt part of her forearm and down to her ribs, she had yet to put on a new shirt. It wasn't the scars that bothered her, but rather- "There should be more." _The arm band burned when it absorbed most of the impact._ _I wish the enchantment was weaker._

"Inquisitor," Cassandra started gently, "Solas is right, you couldn't have known. You did what you thought was best at the time," _thought? I didn't think as usual, that's why we're in this mess._ "And in doing so you protected us."

"I **hurt** you," the elven woman's eyebrows furrowed, "How is that protection?" _I don't understand any of this. I can't detect any trace of anger in her scent._

"A mistake on my part," the sincere smirk was one that threatened Lavellan's fraying composure, "After all, everybody knows you're something of a natural disaster when you fight. Sometimes when you're not even fighting either." _I do nothing but destroy everything._ "I should have stayed back and waited out the storm." Head bowed, Ellana's eye stung as it watered, her heart twisted painfully when the Seeker knelt on her other side, both companions squeezed her shoulders reassuringly and chuckled quietly. The ropes that bound her wrists together severed by the occasional steam that weakened them, and the mage wrapped her arms around both Cassandra and Solas' necks as she drew them in a crushing embrace. _Forgiveness. Another form of punishment, killing me with_ _undeserved_ _kindness._ "I-Inquisitor, your body is heating up again." At that Lavellan hastily released the two, feeling another draining pulse wash over her when they sapped her energy. She was grateful for the sensation of the stiff leather gloves and pricks from the tips of the gauntlets rubbing her shoulders, Cassandra steadied her before she slumped forward from the exhaustion. "My apologies for angering you like-"

"I wasn't angry," the inferno mage replied tiredly as she wiped her bleary eyes. "Happy," she murmured honestly, "I'll do whatever it takes to make up for my mistakes. And-" she looked up and her head tilted in confusion at the two who stared back with the same quizzical expressions, "Uh, what? Did I say something weird again?"

"Your magic reacted to an emotion other than rage," Solas stated then stood, extending his hand, "Rise from your ashes, da'len." _Huh?_ "Step out of the shadows," his lips curled into a relieved smile, "Take my hand. We're going to go where the phoenix can shine."

* * *

"Feeling better yet?" Varric hesitantly asked, he hated being with the archer in the state she was in right now. "That was the eighth nug you shot." Because he was dreading the bullshit story he'd have to make up to Lavellan in order to explain the sudden massacre of nugs littering the plains.

"Wish it was Food," Sera spat bitterly, her fingers twitched and she pulled another arrow from her quiver. "Fuck," she sighed frustratedly and pulled the bowstring an inch before she relaxed, "Why ya following me Varric?"

"Someone's got to make sure you don't die or get lost. We'll get lost together this way."

" _Tch_ ," a scoff, "I don't need a babysitter like a certain flame-brain." Both rogues rounded another corner and Sera nocked the arrow, pulling the bowstring all the way and cursing when her shot missed a halla, the alerted animal immediately rushed away after. Varric shook his head sadly and she retorted heatedly, "What, Ena can destroy a whole fucking field but it's wrong if I nab a stinky halla or two?" The dwarf shrugged but wisely said nothing, Sera's shoulders itched to draw and shoot again, "Fuck."

"You've said that thirty-two times since I started counting," Varric had a hint of amusement in his grim tone, he'd given up on jokes to cheer the archer up long ago when they were met with nothing but venomous retorts. "That was ten minutes ago."

"Shut it." Reaching for another arrow, she paused and her hand fell back to her side, "I dunno why I'm even pissed the hell off." She stole a side glance as she walked alongside the dwarf, the two casually walked across the expansive plains, eyes trained for any movement that indicated enemies lay waiting for an ambush. "And? Not gonna tell me that's daft, that's wrong, or-"

"As scary as it is with you, you've got tons of reasons to be mad, Buttercup. They're just catching up to you now, because all you did was bottle it all up and pretend it's alright. Now you're working through it like you always do," Varric thumbed behind him and smirked reassuringly, "Stick arrows in anything that moves." He clasped his hands behind his head and looked up at the clear blue sky, "Phoenix does the same thing, except she burns anything that moves. Everybody has their own way of airing out their steam."

"Never say anything straight, do ya?" Sera frowned for a moment then looked up at the sky as well, pondering on what the dwarf meant before idly asking, "So… Yer not saying it's daft or wrong?" _Feels wrong, all of this feels wron_ _g and I can't frigging stick an arrow in it._ _Fuckin' rubbish._

"Like I said, everybody has their own way. If it's right to you, then it's not for me to judge and say it's wrong."

"Fuck." _Why can't he ever talk plain?_ _Makes my head hurt._

"Thirty-three."

"Shut up." A frustrated sigh, the elven rogue raked a hand through her hair then stole another peek at Varric, "So what're these 'reasons' on why I'm pissed off, huh?"

"Who knows?"

"Fuck." Upon seeing the amused glint in the dwarf's eye, she growled warningly, " **Shut. It.** "

"I didn't say anything," the dwarf chuckled at Sera's groan. "Feelings have no reason, Buttercup." _Huh?_ The archer's eyebrow rose in confusion as she looked at Varric, who continued to stare at the sky. "When asked 'why' the answer is 'I don't know. I just do.'" _And? I don't get it._ He tapped the side of his head, "Because feeling doesn't come from the mind to know, but from the heart to feel." Sera gaped at him, still lost, then grumbled as her gaze fell back to sweep across the barren plains.

"Thanks for the headache, arse."

Another chuckle, "No problem, Buttercup." An explosion rang out in the distance and their heads snapped to the direction of the sound, _that is_ _ **really**_ _not fucking good._ Knowing there was most likely only one reason for such an occurrence, the two exchanged glances then nodded, immediately sprinting towards the origin of the sound. Another blast and their hearts beat erratically, "Hope Seeker and Chuckles are alright," Varric shouted breathlessly, he'd huffed harder as he tried to keep up with the archer's speed.

"Ena's probly blowing away some daft arsehole who thought it was a frigging great idea to piss 'em all off!" _And her going angry nuts is the worst thing for everybody right now, for shit's sake._ A river stream to their left, Sera's eyebrows furrowed when she spotted some sort of band and large wagons on the other side, _the fuck's that?_ _Whatever, s'long as they ain't stupid enough to attack us too,_ they followed where the stream led as another explosion rang out, Sera's ears twitched when she heard confusing sounds of something crashing and splashing on water. _The fuck?_ "Water," the rogue shouted over her shoulder then drawled sarcastically, "Flame-brain's pissed at water. I bet she's trying to blow it up, fucking weirdo."

"Fire and water," the dwarf shouted back, "Makes sense!"

"What?!" The archer slowed to a jog then turned to wait when she noticed Varric had stopped to collect his breath, she crossed her arms and her lips curled in a cocky smirk, "Outta shape. Too much sitting with Food and writing weird rubbish. Anyways, the hell did you mean?"

"Well," hands on knees, Varric took deep gulps of air then looked up and smirked, "Phoenix doesn't like to be beat by anything, right?" _What's with him and his weird nicknames?_

"Fighting water," Sera let out a snort then laughed, "That's the most daft thing I ever-" another explosion, and when her head snapped over her shoulder she could have sworn she saw water shoot up in the air. "No. Way." And then suddenly she remembered the last time something similar to this happened, she took off running inside the cave and hopped over the crates, careful not to trip over the countless bodies of _maybe-_ venatori that littered the grounds, _what's left of 'em anyway._ _Burnt to bits, that's got Ena's name all over it._ She vaguely heard the dwarf call out behind her as she rushed down the steps, _when she was with Beardy at that pond the one time,_ she gritted her teeth, _fuck sake, the things I do for her. Idiot's gonna frigging drown,_ _the hell happened to Cass and Baldy watching her?_ She loosened the strap on her quiver, preparing herself to ditch all her weapons to swim and collect _the daft tit who fried her brain._ Upon rushing down the last of the steps, she saw tall stone pillars and behind them water sprayed upwards again as another explosion shook the very air. "Ena!" When she passed the archway, she'd been roughly grabbed by the bicep and yanked to the side, her free hand reflexively shot out to punch only for it to be stopped. Her eyes widened and her anger instantly quelled upon seeing Cassandra furiously shake her head, "Oi, what the fuck Cass? Coulda just yelled at me to stop." She shrugged and rotated her shoulder in small circles when the Seeker released her, the awkward grab and sudden twist more than likely stretched and injured something. _Gonna feel that soon, piss._ _Don't she know her own strength?_

"The Inquisitor is meditating," _uh huh._ The rogue's eyebrow rose and she shot Cassandra a skeptical look, she crossed her arms and jerked her head to the side when another blast vibrated in the air as water crashed down. _Yeah._ "That's what Solas said, anyways." _Sure._

"Y'know last I checked, meditating is humming and haaing, all peaceful and shite." Another explosion and the women merely stared deadpan at each other before Sera finally sighed dejectedly _._ "Tell me Cass," she pointed at the in-the-process-of-being-craterfied water, "How the fuck is **that** peaceful when Ena's tryna blow away all the frigging water?" Cassandra shrugged and glanced over, the archer followed her gaze and noticed that Solas had been standing near the edge. It'd been difficult to decipher what it was he was trying to say to the submerged _clearly pissed off_ _the rocker_ mage with the water crashing down and pillar of fire roaring before it dispersed in the air. What she couldn't see however, was Lavellan herself save for the illuminating orange glow underwater before a round of explosion shot up, "How the hell is she even blowing up in fuckin' water?" Her lips twitched in a small proud smile and she couldn't help but whisper affectionately, "Weirdo..." She crossed her arms and watched, Varric caught up beside her with a silent question in his eyes but she shrugged as her answer. "Doing the impossible ain't 'nough for her, she's gotta try pulling miracles out her arse too. Coz why not?"

"So… What's she even trying to do?" Varric's eyebrow rose in skepticism, "This is definitely going in my book, whatever it is."

" **Meditating** ," both women answered in synchrony, both smirking at the disbelieving expression plastered all over the dwarf's face. _Pretty sure that's how my face looked,_ _Prissy too if Baldy told her that's what Ena's doing._ Cassandra added, "I don't know where she gets all that from, Solas and I were constantly draining her magical energy."

"Well with no bottom," Varric quipped, "Is it a good thing she's blowing up or a bad thing?" _Good for her, bad for everybody else. That's usually how it goes anyway._ He gestured to Solas bravely standing near the edge of the water, clothes fully drenched for being caught in the collateral aftermath of the waves rippling and spraying down. "And what's Chuckles even doing over there?"

"Getting a free shower and washing his clothes." Sera grinned as the other two smirked with amusement that it hadn't been a totally outrageous idea, "He's been stinky for a while."

"All I know so far," the Seeker pointed to their traveling packs leaning against the wall, "Is that before we guided the horses to an Inquisition camp, he mentioned something about a 'phoenix shining'." _What?_ She shrugged when both rogues rose their eyebrows in confusion, "Don't look at me, I made the same look. We ceased draining her magic and he encouraged her directing it against enemies the moment she felt the slightest bit of anger. I believe Solas intends to help the Inquisitor exhaust all the pent up rage and aggression remaining in her system."

"And she didn't blow you two up when you fought the dead guys behind us? That's a surprise. And a bloody miracle." Sera thumbed over at the corpses and glanced over her shoulder, there had been a lot of rubble and debris littering the path when she'd run down here in the first place. She couldn't help but laugh at Cassandra's simple and obvious answer, _course, daft to think they went with her._

"We thought it was wise if we stayed safely behind while she charged ahead. And then we followed her here." The moment an explosion rang out, all three looked to see that the water had split for a few seconds and Sera's eyes widened upon meeting the intense heated gaze of the mage responsible for all the destruction. _Like she always is._ Her stomach churned nervously, it looked as though Ellana had been equally surprised before she held her breath as the water swallowed her once again. _What's gonna happen now? She didn't really look all that pissed, is she blowing shit up just because she can?_ She exchanged concerned looks with the others, it'd been apparent when Solas glanced over and spotted them that something was going to happen soon. "I better go to Solas just in case if we need to subdue the Inquisitor," the Seeker sighed wearily then patted Sera's shoulder, "Be ready to run just in case."

"Run?" The archer looked at Varric who shrugged, _from Ena? No point, she could catch me if she really wanted to._ Cassandra swiftly moved towards the water and Solas nodded in acknowledgment of her presence, the two braced themselves when the water stilled. It'd been too calm for anyone's liking, _and Ena calm is a_ _ **bad**_ _sign, not a good sign._ She pondered on what the Seeker last said and her eyes perked, she stepped forward though Varric grabbed her wrist to stop her, _Ena fucked up yeah, but she won't hurt me again. Would she?_ Nausea sat at the base of her throat upon seeing drenched firebrand hair break the surface of the water, and Lavellan smoothed it back with her hand before swimming for the shore. _What's gonna happen now?_ As soon as the mage stood then waded closer and closer, Solas and Cassandra blocked her way to stop her advance. _What if she blows up on them?_ Sera's ears twitched upon the elven woman's tired request to drain what little magic remained, and relief welled up in her upon hearing the familiar words. _If she says it, it's alright then right?_

"It's not a problem. Not anymore." Ellana raked both hands to push back the soaked hair out of her face and nearly collapsed on the ground when it had only taken Solas to sap her energy, Cassandra reacted swiftly and caught her in time. _Oi! The fuck?!_ The archer had been about to rush over until Varric kept her where she was, she cast an angry glare until she tuned in to the conversation again. _Wait a sec..._ "Fenedhis," a tired chuckle, "At least warn me first, Hahren." _No fire, no shouting?_

"My apologies," Solas helped her straighten out and hovered his hand over her forehead, green particles floated about and the inferno mage seemed to slowly recuperate. "I just wanted to see how you'd react." Upon hearing that Lavellan's eyes snapped open and she looked at him as if surprised, then at her own hands. "It seems as though you have forced out absolutely every bit of anger in your system, I'm not sure if I want to know what you thought of to get it all out." It'd been pretty entertaining to watch the elven woman melt in relief, _she looks ready to cry too,_ though the moment Sera's eyes connected with hers, nervousness welled up in her again. It skyrocketed when Ellana started making way for her with a determined look on her face, and the archer wasn't sure what would happen now. She wasn't sure if she wanted to talk either. Judging by the concerned expressions everybody else wore they didn't know either, and Cassandra lingered behind as a precaution, still on guard. Their eyes widened when the mage suddenly knelt before Sera, and nobody was sure what to say nor make of the action. _Why… Is she bowing?_

"I don't know what to do," came the remorseful whisper, _don't think any of us do, Ena. We always made shit up while we went along._ "Sorry isn't enough, but I don't know what to do, or say." The rogue stole a side glance at Varric then at the others, the companions exchanged looks then quietly picked up their traveling packs and left to give privacy. "Solas told me to think of everything that had ever upset me in my entire life, and my magic would react accordingly to expel what was inside me." A sharp inhale, Ellana slowly looked up at the archer and Sera couldn't help but frown when her gaze snapped to the ebony iris before she looked at the other eye. What she saw made emotions course through every part of her that left her confused and petrified, unknowing which to act on. Anger resurfaced upon feeling betrayed, yet at the same time she'd wanted nothing more than to hug, to utter the same phrase the mage always did no matter what happened. "I didn't need to," the elven woman continued quietly, "For the entire time, I couldn't stop thinking about what I did to you," her gaze fell to the ground. "I made your bad dream come true." _Which one?_ Her voice cracked into a frail sob and she lowered until her head touched the dirt, "I'm sorry." _Move._ Another choke, Sera could nearly taste the guilt entrenched in the mage's voice, "I'm sorry..." _Hug her, stupid. She'd never let it happen if she had any say._ "Ir abelas 'ma vhenan," _she didn't, couldn't. She's hurting just as much, more.  
_

As Ellana continued to choke out apologies all the while fighting not to lose her wavering composure, Sera knelt ever so slowly so as not to startle the mage. Her heart had been pulling in every single direction, her nerves buzzing, and exhaustion blanketed her consciousness. She'd just been too damn tired with everything that happened over the course of the day, and on the verge of an emotional burn out. She just wanted things back to normal already, to make stupid jokes or get annoyed with her lover's wild antics, or pretend to be annoyed anyways. Not that she'd admit it out loud, but she loved and had fun calling Lavellan crazy when she knew she was too, _a good crazy. Not a bad crazy, like this._ Drenched firebrand hair splayed everywhere and watered the dirt but even so the archer had been able to pick up the vivid scent of salt, and the usually warm and loud woman before her was now reduced to a pile of hoarse whispers, the chanting of the apologies itself had been eerie. Sera's lips parted but nothing came out, her voice gone and no words coming to mind of what to say anyways. Instead she gave a slight tug to try and get the mage to lift her head, and it ended up being a struggle when Lavellan stubbornly remained on the ground. She'd been surprised herself when she huffed irritatedly, her tongue as thick as cotton and her dry throat made her annoyed accent sound more like a crumbling whine when she managed to rasp out, "Get up, Wierdo. Can't hug you if yer kissing dirt." Nothing, no reaction though Ellana stiffened and stopped her chanting to suck in a shaky breath, Sera stared sadly at the despondent woman and tried again, "Look at me, Ena." No response, and the turmoil within her had become increasingly harder to navigate as a new whirl of emotions fell upon her, both good and bad. She didn't understand it, and that only served to annoy her further when Lavellan wouldn't listen to her. "I just wanna hug, luv." _Feels like a good start._

"I _can't_ ," came the quiet reply, and the archer tilted her head in confusion before tugging again. "I can't touch you," _what the fuck?_ Anger welled up in her, she'd been upset about what had happened and had no clue how the two would work through it this time, _but that don't mean we can't figure it out,_ _like we always do when we fight_ _. What's her problem now?_ Just as she'd been about to ask, she paused at the frail murmur, "I promised myself I'd never touch you ever again."

"What?" _We freakin' hugged before, what 'bout that?_ That did nothing to appease the blood that began to boil, and Sera asked heatedly, "You fuck up and you give up, just like that? That's the same as running and I already told you it don't fix shit, it's alright to be scared, yeah?" She sighed frustratedly and covered the elven woman's mouth with her hand to shush her, "This ain't like you at all Ena. You were the one that told me when people care 'bout each other they always find a way to make things work, no matter how hard it is." _Too much change._ "That's it, here, now, you don't get to give up and leave me alone to deal with this." _I hate change._ "We're fighting this like we always do." _Just wanna be us again._ She removed her hand and expanded her arms, glaring warningly with a stern demand, "Hug. **Now**." When the mage looked as though she'd been about to protest, Sera added though faltered at her own harshness when old bitter hurt lashed out, "Wouldn't be the first time you broke a promise." The hurt flashed across the normal eye and Ellana looked back down at the ground, the rogue frowned at herself and mumbled, "Sorry. See? I fuck up lots too, always do but you just tell me 'it's not a problem' even when I know it is. So now it's my turn."

Hastily pulling off her quiver and bow, she grinned when she laid down on her back and shimmied so that her head touched Lavellan's knees, the two stared at each other upside down. _Can't she dry her hair just a bit more? Ugh wet muck, frigging gross. I'm gonna need a free shower too._ Remorse had been etched in both of their eyes and the archer reached up, her palm cautiously slid along the burnt half of the face as she whispered, "It's not a problem, luv." She brushed her thumb along the corner of the lip that thankfully still had the scar from their sparring match, _that didn't burn away._ _I didn't blow everything up._ Mouth quirking upwards in a fond smile of a distant memory, she gazed directly in the single eye where the amber specks shone bright with a multitude of emotions. Her voice hushed, barely audible as she husked out, "Any chance you remember that time when I asked you why y'love me?"

 _ **You drink too much, you curse too much. You have questionable morals.**_

A fervent nod, and then the amber specks looked like they expanded for a moment as the eye watered, _aw shit._ _I thought it was a good thing!_ A breathless chuckle, the water drops flicked off the firebrand hair and plopped on Sera's face though she'd been more concerned with the mage laughing, _because somethin' goes boom in the next five minutes._ "We have the most stupid fights and yet you are everything I have ever wanted."

 _ **You pick me up when I fall down and when you can't pick me up, you lie down with me.**_

Nervousness churned in the archer when she rose as high as her tired muscles allowed her to, her stomach desperately begged for a time out to sleep for the night and it hadn't helped when Lavellan looked as though she'd been about to panic. Sera wove her fingers in the dripping hair to make sure the mage wouldn't run, "And after that, Ena?"

"You are my strength," another strained chuckle as more water dropped, the rogue's shirt dampened under the constant assault and soon Sera wasn't sure if it was the water or the salty tears she smelled that hit her. "Strength isn't a big flame," the archer grinned proudly at the rush of air that hit her forehead as she looked at the smokey coal eye that swirled with the brighter amber specks. "It is the flicker of an ember that whispers 'keep going.'" Reaching up, Sera gave a flick to Ellana's forehead and reveled in the woman's warm rumble of a laugh, _better than mopey and whiney, like the elfy elf she is. But she didn't forget to laugh, most important part._

"C'mon. We'll fix this like we usually do, by doing what we always do. Fight." Before the mage had the chance to react, Sera circled her free hand around Lavellan's nape and pulled for a kiss. It'd been awkward, twisting her neck as much as she did along with her head bumping into the woman's chest and collarbones. She wouldn't have traded it for anything else in the world, the way Ellana stiffened before she gradually thawed and reciprocated the tender kiss that melted both of them. It hadn't been needy, carnal and full of aggressive desire but one of longing, affection and full of the need to simply be. When they parted and gazed at each other for what felt like whole minutes, the rogue leaned up higher to give one final chaste kiss to Lavellan's chin and snickered at the beginnings of a childish grin, _been way too long since I've seen that._ "I'm pooped, Ena. Wanna catch some shut-eye already." _Know how to rope ya in, too. Know ya best, like I always have._ "Let's set up camp so you can be a perv and watch me sleep?"

"Ma nuvenin," Ellana straightened out and rose. With Sera. Before the archer knew what had happened she had arms hook under her knees and shoulder blades to lift her, and she yelped in surprise. _The fuck is with her always doing what she wants with me?!  
_

"Put me down ye daft tit, I can walk by myself! Besides I need my stuff," she pointed at the bow and quiver, and immediately regretted it upon seeing the childish mischievous grin in full bloom. "Oh fuck no. You better not be thinking-" another yelp when the mage adjusted her so that she'd been slung over Lavellan's shoulder, and groaned upon seeing the tanned back. "Put me-"

"Nope!"

"Ena," a light smack against the shoulder blades, "Quit showing off my arse like it's everybody's business!" _It's yours only._

"Nope!"

"For fuck's sake just-"

"Nope!" _I fucking give up on life._

* * *

Fire crackling, Lavellan sat by the fire with Solas worriedly watching her from across the dancing flames. They'd swayed to a different tune, calmer, tamer, sad as oppose to the cheerful life they usually had. _As I thought, I knew I couldn't. Feels wrong, it'll happen all over again I just know it._ The elven woman had been far too anxious to follow Sera in their designated tent, and the archer gave up on convincing her when Ellana refused to budge from her position. There was no amount of persuasion or threatening that could move her, she hugged her knees and refused adamantly, fearful of repeating the same mistake despite Solas' reassurances that she'd burned away every ounce of rage that tainted her. Cassandra joined, saying it'd been a remarkable feat in hopes that compliments would cheer the mage up, but she wasn't interested in reassurances or compliments or comfort. She was downright scared of herself, and despite everybody else -even Sera- working to forgive her, she still couldn't forgive herself. It was a regret she refused to forget and forgive, something she was determined to take with her to ensure she would never repeat the same mistake ever again. _When she had her dream, I told her I'd rather die and…_

 _ **You ain't you! What's not to get 'bout that? You ain't Ena.**_

 _And yet,_ a heavy sigh, her eyes dipped to the base of the fire and she played with the tips of the flames as she constantly drew an 8 in the air, the fire swayed and waved as it heeded its master's commands. _No matter what it just took over before I even realized what happened.  
_

 _ **Didn't feel safe and you had no fire in your eyes, you always have fire in yer eyes.**_

Hugging her knees tighter and resting her chin on them, she settled and watched as the flames did the same as her. Solas gently called out to her though she'd only grunted in response, too absorbed by the memories as she sank further and further in the pit of remorse. "Da'len, it was not something you could stop."

 _ **You looked and treated like I was just a slab of meat, a toy.**_

 _I couldn't stop myself from treating her -hurting her- the very way I never wanted to? The way I promised I never would?_

 _ **Wouldn't be the first time you broke a promise.**_

 _What good is making a promise when I'll break it?_ Teeth gritting and eyebrows furrowing to stop herself from crying, her eye flashed and she glared at the gentle flames with pure frustration. "I don't understand how all of you just..." _I get Sera wants normal, that's how she copes and feels better but,_ she sighed upon seeing Solas' concerned expression. "I just don't feel that I deserve it, if I could change how I'm feeling with a snap of my fingers, I'd never have caused this much trouble in the first place." She raked her hands through her hair and winced when her fingers caught multiple knots, she'd warmed up her hands until steam rose, brushing and straightening the thick tangled locks to keep herself occupied. "All my life I've sought out vengeance, not forgiveness. I just don't know what to do to-" her gaze snapped to the hedge mage when he rose and walked around the campfire to sit beside her on the left, her eyebrow rose in confusion when he settled into a meditation position and held out his hand that rested on his lap. "Hahren?"

"Forgiveness does not come easy even to those that seek it, da'len. Peace comes from within," Solas smiled sadly and gestured with his head to point at his hand, gently grasping the burned palm when the elven woman shifted to sit comfortably as they joined hands, "Do not seek it without." A soothing presence slipped over her consciousness and in time they'd synchronized their breathing rhythm, Lavellan had been unaware that the others poked their heads out of their tents to watch. She'd been tuned in to the sensations as her lungs gradually filled with air, mentally counting up to four as she held an inhale before slowly releasing her breath. She often felt more at peace every time Solas guided her into and during meditation, though she remembered the struggle in the very beginning. It'd always just been focusing on the physical and she had a difficult time of learning how to relax enough to let her mind roam freely, even now she still relied on her Hahren's voice in order to stay in a meditative state, lest her restlessness and naturally energetic nature bounce out of it. "To forgive is to set a prisoner free," the calm voice continued, it'd still been a bit of a task for Ellana to wrap her mind around the part where she was supposed to both focus and not focus on the words at the same time. But just like with all training and consistent practice, she figured it might be something achievable someday. "And discover," a slight squeeze of her hand, and for a moment she'd lost count of her breathing as her eyebrows furrowed, "That the prisoner was **you**."

 _A promise is my way of staying true to my word, to remember. To ensure I won't change._ She settled back into her rhythm as Solas continued and with each wise word she tried to reflect on to understand, her heart felt lighter. "Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal, even if you intend to throw it at somebody else it is you who ends up burned." At the mention of burns her concentration -or rather what was supposed to be lack thereof- wavered momentarily by her love for fire, even if she recognized that in this case Solas meant it as a bad thing. "Nothing can bring you peace but yourself." _So how do I do that if I have changed?_ Her concentration wavered again and her eyes opened, she let out a frustrated sigh and buried her tired face in her palms, "Da'len?"

"It doesn't feel right, even if I try." The inner turmoil had been grueling, exhausting, she wanted things to be back to normal just as much as Sera did, perhaps even more. Forgetting everything that happened seemed like a lovely idea, but one that went against everything she stood for. She slowly rose from her seat, bowing at the hips as a sign of respect but also to apologize, "Ir abelas, Hahren. Wisdom is not my strongest suit," she straightened out and smiled sadly then pointed to the black vines remaining on the unmarred side of her face. "The day I got my vallaslin -after my brother Samahl died- I have sworn myself to Elgar'nan and vengeance, no matter how painful the truth of it all is." Solas gave her a peculiar look and for a brief second his scent was different, though her first instinct was to look at the others who'd shamelessly eavesdropped, and made no move to hide that they were watching. "I just don't feel as though peace and forgiveness is something I can ever achieve." Everybody was worried, _even 'ma vhenan,_ the elven woman's eyebrows furrowed and she averted her gaze when her eyes met Sera's, her head bowed slightly in guilt and her shoulders sagged at the archer's sharp inhale.

"Alright enough of this mopey rubbish," the rogue broke the silence and stepped out of her tent, Lavellan braced herself when Sera marched straight towards her before Solas stood abruptly.

"Then you deserve the truth," _what?_ Ellana exchanged glances with the archer when Sera grasped her wrist, and she gently pulled away. The hedge mage gestured with his hand after giving a sad look, "It may be better if we discuss this in private, da'len. You may not want everybody else to hear."

"That sounds important," Lavellan took a step forward, "I trust everybody here, and I believe in honesty. It would be wrong to turn away from that now, I've already turned my back on..." As she trailed off she shifted her eyes to stare at the ground, her heart felt weary and heavy with the rogue directly behind her. _Why isn't she hitting me, cursing at me, insulting me?_ _It's what I deserve._ She steeled herself and looked up at Solas, "What is this 'truth'?" To say it unnerved her had been an understatement, she tried to think of what the hedge mage would have kept from her or lied about, but only came up with one, "Is it about Valor?" For a moment the apostate seemed hesitant, he looked at Cassandra and Varric when they exited their tents to stand behind Lavellan. The nervous energy had gradually rose higher and higher, and the inferno mage was sure everybody could hear the hard thumping of her heart. _I hate waiting,_ she stepped forward again, "Hahren?"

"No, it is not about Valor." Solas' apologetic look made the elven woman's stomach churn, and she wasn't sure if she was grateful or even more confused at the familiar presence behind her, the palm that slipped in her own. "It's about your vallaslin," _what's left of it anyways,_ "And what they truly mean."

"They honor the elven gods, the Creators," Ellana said simply, she'd been subtly aware of the hand that instinctively squeezed hers and the tension in Sera's body. _I understand it's not something you like or believe in, but it's part of **me**._ Her attention snapped to Solas when he shook his head slowly, and a large lump began to grow in her throat as her heart beat erratically, _what? I don't get it._

"No." It was the mage's turn for her hand to tighten upon hearing that, until she felt another hand gently rub inside her wrist and the quiet protest to ease up. _Last thing I need is to break Sera's hand as well._ "They are slave markings." Her eyes widened and instead she released the archer's hand to be safe, her jaw slackened and her body stiffened, her heavy heart torn between sinking lower or leaping to her throat. Her lips parted then sealed, she had no idea what she even wanted to say and _what?_ Was the only thing repeated over and over again inside her mind. Solas' eyebrows furrowed and he let out another sigh as he calmly explained, "At least they were in the time of Arlathan, and in some part you were partially correct about the vallaslin honoring the elven gods." He strode to her and had his hands on her shoulders, she searched his eyes for lies yet found nothing. "A noble marked his slaves to honor the god he worshipped." It took time to absorb and process the information, though how much Ellana hadn't known for it felt as though she'd been frozen in it. The words replayed in her head, she could have sworn that any more and she would fall apart right then and there for the entire day had been far too much. As soon as she had thought about running away, anger welled up in her and she forcibly demanded herself to stay and fight. Her fists clenched tightly and steam rose from her knuckles, she glared at the ground and gritted her teeth in frustration.

 _Another thing the dalish -that I- have gotten wrong._

Stepping back in an attempt to save her fraying composure, she took in deep breaths of the chilly night air to try and remain calm. All the anger she had thought she'd expelled resurfaced, and the moment the urge to burn and destroy something came into mind her head snapped up and muttered vehemently, "Slave markings… Elvhen had slaves. Like Tevinter." Cracks rang out from her knuckles when she flexed her fingers even tighter, the burned palm stung in protest of both the pressure and the nail that bit it. A strained chuckle and her head bowed, her hoarse voice croaked out, "Look, 'ma vhenan? You were right, elfy elves really are heartless assholes huh?" Sera said nothing, though the inferno mage sensed a small amount of pride before it disappeared swiftly, replaced by sympathy. _Or pity. I'm well aware of what she feels, why would she be sympathetic of this?_

"Solas," Cassandra chastised quietly, "For what purpose would you even reveal this?"

"The truth is better than being lied to," Lavellan bit out then tried to muster a reassuring smile upon seeing the hedge mage's remorseful look, "Hahren knew the truth. He let me walk around with these markings," she corrected herself when it sounded as though she blamed him, "Ir abelas, I do not mean to make it seem as though it is your fault." She had no idea where this control came from, she felt as though she had teetered right at the edge where one slip meant she'd lose herself. "In your place, I would have done the same," a bitter short laugh, her essence of pride wounded. "To tell someone their whole life was a lie, their purpose, their resolve and promises, all a **fucking** lie… I wouldn't be able to do it either." She glared at the night sky, if she hadn't been absorbed by anger and sorrow she'd have been able to appreciate it, as if the ocean of stars shone bright in an attempt to remind her there was still beauty in the world. "I wonder what Samahl must think of me now? He's probably making jokes like he always does, irony always delighted him. I was supposed to lead, to fight for freedom, and I'm a slave myself. Where do I stand now? All I've ever stood for was a lie."

"Da'len… I can-ow!" Ellana looked over only to see Sera glaring at the hedge mage, her hand still raised as she gave another hard thwack across the back of Solas' head. _What is she hitting him for?_

"Better fucking fix this Baldy, or an arrow'll be the least of yer fucking worries for hurtin' Ena like this. And you!" The archer pointed at the inferno mage then stomped up to her, giving an equally hard -if not even harder- thwack across Lavellan's head.

"Ow!" Varric and Cassandra chuckled before they promptly shut up when the rogue glared at them, the elven woman rubbed the side of her head and looked at Sera, _I know I deserve punishment from her but-_ "What was that for?"

"For being a mopey fuck. It's pissing me the hell off," the archer crossed her arms and huffed irritatedly, "Who cares 'bout all this stuff, Ena?" _You're spitting on years of tradition, on my life and everything I stood for!_ Anger flared up until it'd been doused by water, " **Now** is what matters. Should to you too, cuz you always pretty much act in the **now** , not ahead, not behind. Y'don't look at the past me, or future me, you look at **me**." She shrugged and Lavellan gaped slack jawed, "Dunno where you stand? Look at your feet ye daft tit, yer standing right where you are. Here." _Here, for what?_

A quiet chortle and Varric muttered under his breath though it'd gone ignored, "I don't think that's what she meant..." And suddenly his eyes widened, he shifted the satchel around and dug inside to pull out his notes, scribbling whatever it was down.

"Stand for whatcha always stood for." Sera gave a proud smirk, "Yer Ena. You stand for us, for the-" she used her fingers to emphasize, "'Best friends' out there, for family, for people. For fighting, for living, for-" her smirk grew into a wide grin and her eyes glinted with amusement, "Fire." At that Ellana visibly reacted, the lips unwillingly pulled into a childish smile of her own until it too expanded in a grin when the rogue patted her cheek. "See?" Sera's hand fell on Lavellan's chest, "You always knew here that today is more important than yesterday." _And the one that is always by my side now and forever is you._

A brief cough and their attention snapped back to Solas, "It was not my intention to hurt you da'len. And as Sera eloquently put it, I'll have more than an arrow to fear if I don't fix this," a small huff from the archer and Ellana gave a small laugh, she'd instinctively sought out Sera's hand and intertwined their fingers. "I know a spell that can remove the vallaslin." Eyes widened, the elven woman could have sworn that if her heart were to beat any harder for any longer, her ribs would chisel away and break. "You deserve better than what those cruel marks represent da'len, but the decision is yours." Big choices were not usually her forte when she either decided on a whim or with the help of her advisors, it was almost always impulsive action otherwise when she trusted her gut feeling. _They've been a part of me for a few years, is it really something I can just get rid of? To change myself again?_

Sensing her distress, the rogue gave a reassuring squeeze and shrugged when Lavellan looked at her, "Ya said it's not a problem when y'got half of it burned off, right?" _She's not pushing me to get rid of them even if she isn't ecstatic about 'elfy' things._ "It's not what makes you, **you**. Yer Ena no matter what luv, tattoo or not. Dunno if that helps." _Not really, well it does but it doesn't. Can't you tell me to get rid of them or something?_ The others nodded in agreement, and suddenly exhaustion swept down on her in another overwhelming wave. _So many things have happened today… Will I make the right decision? Does it have to be now? What if-_ "Just listen to the first thing that pops into your mind, luv."

At that Ellana blurted, "Remove them." She felt better having made up her mind along with Sera's hand intertwined with hers, her lips curled in a tiny smile as she joked, "What's left of them, anyways." Solas nodded then gestured for her to sit and she let go of the archer, she strode forward now assured that no matter what, _I'm still me. Sera was right,_ her heart felt lighter, _I'm 'Ena' no matter what._ As she sat she noticed the nervous energy fluttering about and for some reason she couldn't help but grin, "There's nothing to worry about," the grin grew until her canines shone bright, reflecting the bright array of warm colors from the campfire. "It's not a problem." Her stomach fluttered despite the reassurance and confidence as Solas knelt in front of her with his hands hovering over her face. She closed her eyes and even still saw the green mist illuminate, it pulsed as it traveled from her chin to her forehead and though she couldn't feel the vallaslin, there were small tingles buzzing underneath her skin. _It's almost like when the Keeper applied it,_ her mind had been brought back to the day when she'd been adamant about receiving the vallaslin, her promise of vengeance. _Isn't this forgetting Samahl? I don't want to forget him._ At that she second guessed herself and doubted her decision, her eyebrows furrowed upon the memory of that fateful day. The Keeper -like so many others in her clan- tried to appeal to her stomach in order to cheer up the disheartened woman over her loss, and as the last of the tingles faded away her eyes snapped open upon remembering the Keeper's words.

 _ **You are not a child of retribution.**_

"Ar lasa mala revas, you are no longer sworn to vengeance da'len." Solas smiled tiredly then stood slowly, he shifted and knelt behind her, "I will remove the one on your spine as well." Lavellan nodded in the affirmative and chewed on the corner of her lip, the words the hedge mage brought on another memory. _When Keeper Istimaethoriel allowed the clan to travel back to where Samahl was killed_ _so that I could say goodbye_ _, she told me the same words_ _about freedom_ _._ _What was I freed from that day?_ The tingles running along her spine were sharper and stung, her fingers reflexively flexed and grabbed at her abused breeches as she chewed on her bottom lip. Even with her enhanced hearing, she vaguely heard Sera's whisper of encouragement, that she was doing good. The pain hadn't bothered her or at least not the physical… It'd just brought on too many memories to the surface that any other given day would have been difficult to intentionally recall. _I had already made my peace, vallaslin or not. I changed the day I said goodbye and I have been changing every day since the breach.  
_

 _ **I'm moving on, Samahl, and I promise I will never let another go through what you and I have.**_

Sucking in a harsh breath, the others seemed worried by her reaction and Sera looked ready to throttle the hedge mage to the moon when Lavellan's eyes squeezed shut. Only the one stung with tears as the abrupt overpowering wave of emotions struck her once again, and though she tried to fight back the tears they still leaked out and rolled down her cheek. As soon as Solas finished the archer shouted, though the threats were lost to the fog that draped over the elven woman's muddled mind. _I've moved on but I'll never forget._ She'd been snapped out of her reverie when she was pulled from her seat, familiar calloused hands wrapped around her wrist and dragged her along. "Sera?" It'd been a mere whisper rasped out and the rogue didn't answer her, _what is she doing?_ Anxiety gripped her when she'd been lead to the archer's tent, but before she could pull away from the grasp Sera swiftly circled behind her and shoved her inside. She stumbled over her feet and tripped on the pelts but recovered before she fell, she spun on her feet and had been about to protest until lips crashed over hers to silence her. _What is she doing?! She can't-_ Ellana tried to push away the rogue but that resolve easily shattered the second her body reciprocated despite her fear, and her heart twisted painfully. Fear. _I'm scared._

 _ **Running away don't fix things though. It's alright to be scared.**_

"Y'asked me before what I see when I look at you," Sera whispered against the elven woman's lips and Lavellan stiffened to the point her tense muscles begged for mercy. Despite trying to reassure herself that she wouldn't repeat the same mistake, that it was alright to be scared, that she wouldn't run, this certainly didn't help when her mind had been unwillingly pulled back to the moments before it all spiraled down for the absolute worst. The archer rose on her toes and gave a chaste kiss to Ellana's forehead then grinned radiantly, her hands framing the mage's face. "All I see is Ena still. You'll always be Ena, **my** Weirdo, no matter what happens luv." A flick to the forehead as Sera relaxed on her feet, "You always do somethin' weird to remind me that too," _huh?_ She smirked upon seeing Lavellan's confused expression, "When you were fighting water, or tryna burn it away, whatever the fuck that was. Definitely not _meditating,_ who sets water on fire like that?" She scoffed then chuckled, planting another brief yet tender kiss on the corner of the lips, closer to the burned side. Another memory surfaced and Ellana pulled the archer by the hips, desperately seeking out the mouth that always managed to make her feel overwhelming emotions or sensations.

 _ **Children don't set the water on fire, Ena! You'll evaporate the whole pond at this rate!**_

Hands rising higher, she was sure she'd break when she intertwined with both of Sera's. As their palms pressed together, as fingers tightly clutched one another, she felt something dig into her middle finger and her heart squeezed before it swelled with warmth. _The ring_ _…_ _And s_ _he's still wearing it_ _even if it's not working the way it's supposed to._ "Ir abelas 'ma vhenan, I truly am sorry and I will spend every day of my life making it up to you, to earn your forgiveness if you'll allow me."

 _ **Love is when two people touch each other's soul Ena. When you've done that, that's when you know someone is truly special to you.**_

Parting and gently pulling at the hand with the ring, Ellana let go of the other hand to play and spin the ring, earning a raised eyebrow of confusion from the archer. _I'll make sure to remember to fix it when we go back to Skyhold but for now,_ she slid it off and spoke before Sera protested, "With this ring, I give you my heart."

 _ **They will be the best friend that goes through thick and thin with you.**_

"I promise from this day forward, you will not walk alone."

 _ **Your hearts will be connected as one, and your heart will desire to be with them all the time.**_

"May my heart be your shelter."

 _ **When you find someone who sees the fire in your eyes and wants to play with it, make sure you never let them go.**_

"And my arms be your home." As she slowly pushed the ring back on, her eyes remained glued to the archer who watched the ring. She detected abnormal traces of heat in Sera's body and face, and had been a little concerned upon seeing the tips of the rogue's ears flushed. _Sometimes that happens but usually she's fine,_ she ruled it off as heat being a good thing regardless. Hoping it wasn't pushing it if she initiated the act, she rose the hand and tenderly kissed the tip of Sera's finger as she gazed at her. She wasn't quite sure what to make of the archer's expression or the way how the brown-green orbs shone extra bright, and so she sought to rectify the situation by hesitantly leaning forward, giving the rogue enough time to react and pull away if she didn't want it. Mouth smoothing over the other in a gentle kiss, Ellana framed Sera's face and murmured affectionately against the plump lips, "I love you, Sera." _I won't forget what you taught me Samahl, it's thanks to you I'm standing right where I am. Here._

 _ **The day your heart whispers...**_

"Ma emma sa'lath."


	33. Transcendence

**Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!**

 **Publish Date:** 11-30-2015

 **AN:** So... See the problem when I start to write something in the middle and have a cool battle scene (but then guess at about 5000-some words to naturally follow the path leading up to the battle) is when I have to go back to the beginning. And I got carried away. Like really carried away. Like 8000-some words of smut carried away. Yeah. Plot progress is a little slower than I thought, especially when there are a couple things I'd still like to happen before the group reaches the Western Approach :x. I almost feel bad because at first I joked to myself saying 'it'll probably take me 10 chapters before I reach adamant' and now reading this... It's starting to become less of a joke as I move all the 'middle stuff' to the next chapter :x. Just for ease of reading and time constraints I'll publish and try to keep updates under 15k words, the next chappy should hopefully bring the team closer to the Western Approach if I don't get carried away with the other 'events' in the Exalted Plains. In any case, I hope you still enjoy all the steamy love :P Next chapter should be some lighthearted [battle] fun similar to the dragon fight, prepare for some crazy _flame-brain_ antics once again. Enough rambling, **on to the story!**

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _'Ma vhenan:_ My heart

 _Nuvenan hima sa i'na:_ I wish to become one with you

 _Vera em su tarasyl:_ Take me to the sky

 _Ma nuvenin:_ As you wish

 _Pala em elvar'el:_ Fuck me harder

 _Sathem:_ Please

* * *

 **Transcendence**

* * *

"Sera?" To say Ellana was worried was an understatement, but she'd been trying not to freak out. She's called out to the archer several times now, who merely gaped at her with a slack jaw and pink-tipped ears. "Say something already," Lavellan urged, it was a little harder to stay calm than she thought, especially when she was almost always hot under the collar. "Did I break you?" A wince at that, she did her best to shove the thoughts of what she did to the back of her mind as she squeezed the rogue's shoulders. "Sera," a slight shake, her eyebrows furrowed together and blatant concern had been permanently etched on her scarred face. Not knowing what else to do she gave the archer a quick once over and let go to ensure Sera remained standing, then intended to dart out the tent and ask the others for help. Before she'd been able to exit however, the rogue caught her wrist then yanked her roughly only for Lavellan to stumble backwards and collide into Sera. The two crashed down into the pelts and Ellana worried if she had hurt the woman below her, but she hadn't been able to turn around when arms circled around her and threatened to squeeze the life out of her. "Sera?"

"Shut up," the archer mumbled, her mouth muffled by the shoulder she suddenly showered random kisses to. _What's going on?_ "You're such a fucking idiot Ena," _what'd I do?!_ "Sayin' shite like that like it's so frigging easy," _because it is?_ "D'ya even have a clue what yer doing?" _Sort of?_

"I kinda made it up along as I went," then she grumbled under her breath, "I thought it sounded good..."

" **Too** good," _why does that sound like it's a bad thing?_ "But you really mean it..." _She sounds a little unsure of that,_ "Right?" _But now, so am I._ Just as Ellana was about to say _I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it_ with absolutely no hesitance, she stopped and pondered on the validity of such a firm declaration. _The same thing happened with my promises..._ Her heart threatened to rip into two when the rogue urged, her voice trembled and her whisper had been barely audible, "Ena?"

"I did, I meant every word it's just..." A sigh escaped Lavellan and she tried to glance over her shoulder to see the woman underneath her, "I was thinking that I said the same with my promises." _Do they even mean as much as they used to, anymore?_ _Do you still have faith in my word, do I?_

"That wasn't a promise Ena," _huh?_ The arms loosened and the mage carefully sat up then rolled around, her palms on either side of Sera's head and her firebrand hair mixed with the golden halo beneath her. _Halo,_ a subtle smirk at that, she inwardly joked about the _incredibly-slim-chance that 'ma vhenan is an angel._ Neither of them were, she knew that. _Fallen angels, perhaps?  
_

"Uh... Then what was it?" Her eyebrow cocked up in confusion when the archer seemed reluctant to say it, she stared at the woman who's mouth simply parted then sealed only to gape _like a fish._ Another subtle smile, instead she leaned down and carefully brushed her lips over Sera's, still unsure of herself and searching for any traces of anger in her system that shouldn't have been there-just to be safe. She didn't trust herself anymore and she was not about to repeat the same mistake, it'd have been the same thing as disrespecting and spitting on Sera as well as all she'd ever stood for. And then she smiled in the kiss.

 _ **Dunno where you stand? Look at your feet ye daft tit, yer standing right where you are.**_

"The heck ya smilin' for now?" The soft affectionate tone stirred something within Ellana and for a moment, she'd nearly been overpowered by the urge to smother the rogue's mouth with her own and throw herself into the consuming inferno. She pushed herself higher with her arms and merely shrugged as her answer, Sera's eyes flickered for but a brief moment and she reached up, "Weirdo..." The tentative palm slid along the scarred left half of the fire mage's face and Lavellan nudged her cheek against the calloused hand, her eyes fluttered shut and she tried to distract her mind by conjuring random images. Second by second, the archer's scent had gradually grown to become even more intoxicating and captivating to which it _compelled_ her to take action, and her rising desire -for once- made her anxious rather than eager. Her eyebrows scrunched together with worry at the gentle encouragement, "Just take it slow, 'kay Ena?" _Even she knows I'm nervous, I didn't think I'd be that obvious._ "If it gets too much for ya we-"

"You shouldn't trust me so easily 'ma vhenan," her eyelids squeezed tighter and her untainted eye itched as it watered, "This isn't right." _So why does it feel so damn right when it's wrong?_ "It's not right for me to still want it when I-"

"It's alright," _somehow I doubt that._ "I'd be a little freaked out if ya _didn't_ want it Ena."

"What? I don't get it, what do you mean?"

"Just shut up and keep kissing, you'll figure it out eventually." _But I want to know now._ She wasn't given much choice in the matter when Sera's hand slid to the back of her neck and wove in her hair, drawing her in a sensual kiss that made the fire in her belly warn it'd engulf her very sanity soon.

 _ **You're the wildfire in my soul, the one that I can't contain, the one I can't control.**_

Anxiety soon swallowed every single thought and a lump lodged itself in her throat, her palms felt clammy against the pelts and her tongue grew thick like cotton. She just couldn't do it and tried to push away, but the hand around her nape had been reinforced by a second hand as Sera forcibly held her in place. "Sheprah," she muffled and opened her eyes only to stare back at razor sharp slits filled with defiance and annoyance, the plump lips over her own had been far too persuasive for her liking and nearly every single one of her thoughts chanted _fuck it, just go with the flow._ This was not a _flow_ she wanted to go with, and instead she swam against the current as sharp canines tenderly nipped her bottom lip until it was roughly suckled. She reacted instantaneously and growled as she pushed back for revenge, the heat of the moment getting the better of her despite what she believed was her _better_ judgment. That little voice at the back of her mind encouraged her and damn near roared for this, every muscle spindle and fiber itched and burned with desire.

Heavy breaths, half-lidded eyes, chests desperately heaving for sorely needed oxygen, the two easily lost themselves in the undertow of passion. Lavellan **needed** the woman beneath her so damn much that it nearly hurt, her arms began to quiver as lust blanketed her mind and consumed any remaining coherent thoughts... Not that there were many to begin with. She'd been caught off guard when Sera planted her feet outside of her calves and bumped hips to displace her center of gravity, rolling the two until the triumphant and clearly proud archer was the one that straddled on top. The smug smirk alone trifled with Ellana's incessant inner nagging that she couldn't do this, and slowly, with each kiss, she'd begun to wonder just why she couldn't. She clearly could. _I mean... I am after all. Without any problems._ Her hands smoothed along Sera's hips and her groan was lost in the greedy mouth smothering her own, she nearly growled at the loss of warmth when the archer parted and sat up. Her smug smirk grew into a wicked grin as her palms teasingly brushed over Lavellan's breasts only to innocently rest on her collarbones. _What the fuck is she doing?_ "Sera?" When she tried to sit up for another kiss she'd been pushed back down and held there, the husky quality in Sera's voice resounded in the tent and made the unbearable urges flare even stronger-if such was even possible anymore.

"You're scared of touching me right?" At that the fog of desire lifted just the slightest bit, coherent thought trickled in only to be swept away again when hot breaths tickled her ear, "Then relax and watch me." _What?_ Teeth nipped her upper lip and her bottom suckled teasingly, her hips instinctively shifted against the rogue's and she'd found it increasingly difficult to restrain herself. It'd been borderline torture with anxiety thrumming in the pits of her stomach along with unbridled **need** , and all the tempting had only made it worse. _Or better?_ Her brain had been turned to mush when Sera rose on her knees and scooted higher, she hovered just above Lavellan's chest and grinned madly at the pure animalistic desire that shone bright in the amber specks. The scent instantly damned the inferno mage and drew her in before she even had the chance to say no, her blood boiled and she gritted her teeth at the taunting finger that slid down the bridge of her nose until it drew the outline of her swollen lips. _Creators..._ The fingertip dipped inside and wet itself on her tongue, she'd been completely mesmerized by the heated gaze and her eyes briefly flickered downwards when her attention seemed to fixate itself on the archer's thighs.

 _If only the fucking tights weren't in the way._

An alarming thought, the haze had been lifted just the slightest bit by the worrisome aggressive wish, her palms rose and squeezed the sides of Sera's thighs until they trailed lower to cup ankles. It seemed like a safe spot for her hands anyways, though she yearned for more especially when she watched where the archer's hands decided to go. The red shirt was off in a flash and in the same second her mouth had gone completely dry, fear petrified her and temptation beckoned her to touch the taut stomach just inches away from her face. Her muddled mind managed to freeze the flame within her, and without realizing it she'd licked her dry lips when the rogue's hands ghosted higher, _mother of-_ she growled when Sera palmed her own breasts through the bra.

 _If only the fucking bra wasn't in the way either._

One hand dared reached higher to meet Sera's until it'd been swatted away, "Nope. Said y'gotta relax and watch, remember?"

Without thinking she blurts, "How the hell is **this** relaxing when it's driving me insane?" Her nerves thrummed with irritation at the sight of the smug smirk making it's appearance again, oh how _fucking dearly_ she wanted to wipe it off Sera's face and make her writhe uncomfortably instead. Or was it comfortable? Another growl when she couldn't make up her mind, the archer merely shrugged and continued her torture as she reached behind her, _fucking hell. She's not is she? She is. She fucking is,_ her eyes remained glued on the bra as she impatiently waited to see what she knew lay beneath but could never get enough of, the whole damned woman casually hovering above her had been both her heaven and hell. _I can only imagine it and it fucking sucks._ "You bring me to life and you kill me at the same time," she murmured, she licked her dry lips again and didn't have a choice in looking away with how Sera situated herself, the arrogant smirk merely grew wider.

"Take off the fucking bra before I burn it to a fucking crisp," Lavellan warned, her hands reached up again only to be swatted away and her ears perked at the sound of the clasps being undone. She'd been rewarded for her _im_ patience with an eyeful of what always drove her up the wall, and she cursed herself when she realized she only damned herself by speeding up the process. _She's t_ _he lighter in the dark,_ her throat constricted painfully and her heart squeezed at the cruel realization she couldn't touch, she helplessly watched Sera slide her hands over her breasts and cupped them. With every flick and brush, pangs shot out in between her thighs and she found herself with a permanent cotton-mouth affliction. "You're a firework," she whispered hoarsely, she cussed at her parched throat and wished she had something to drink. Something -or rather- **someone** in particular.

Perhaps the one cruelly teasing her into submission?

 _Fenedhis, her smell is driving me abso-fucking-lutely insane._ "Sera for the love of all that's fucking holy, let me touch you _please._ "

"Nope."

"Taste?"

"That's even worse ye daft tit," the rogue grinned wolfishly and one hand teasingly skimmed down her stomach, Lavellan was **certain** she was about to lose it when she saw the hand dip inside the _fucking tights that need to be_ ** _burned_** _off already._ Her hips shifted in reaction to the soft moan and her skin tingled at the sight of Sera's head lulling back, the fog of desire ate away what little sanity she had left. She wanted it so damned badly but couldn't, yet that teetering control was rapidly breaking down as the scent intensified. Another quiet moan, a sharp pang reminded her of the painful ache settled between her own thighs as her belly buzzed pleasantly and unpleasantly at the same excruciating time. _Holy_ ** _fuck_** _._ Senses overloaded with both hypnotizing sight and _delicious_ smell, she damned the consequences and reached up again, ignoring the hand swatting as she instead pushed Sera's hand away to roughly knead her breasts. "Ena- _fuckshityes_ -what happened to relaxing and watching?"

"Fuck you. And let me do it." The archer's weak husky chuckles spurred Lavellan on and her hands trailed lower as they heated up, she didn't give Sera the chance to orientate herself and realize what was about to happen until the tights had been promptly burned right off while ensuring the heat wouldn't hurt her. "Sit higher," the mage nearly pleaded, her muscles quivered with anticipation and she just wanted a small taste she so dearly craved. _Small? Who am I kidding?_ Her eyes dilated and she grinned darkly as Sera situated right above her face, thighs taunted her in her peripheral vision as they settled on either side of her head and she pushed the damp underwear to the side as she tentatively slid her tongue along the coated slit. She groaned at the vivid taste and reveled in the breathless moan above her, the rogue's hips reflexively rocked forward as she pressed closer and their gaze remained locked the entire time. _That's right._

 _ **I'm going to fucking devour you.**_

Naturally, the underwear aggravated her to no end and she tugged on it until she burned the seam off then abandoned it wherever the hell it decided to go, she had **far** more important uses for her fingers. "E-Ena, how mu- _fuck_ -m-much d'ya think I packed? I ain't loaded with underpants."

"Good. You don't need them, I'd have burned them all anyways."

"I ain't walkin' commando, that shite- _shit_ -sucks with the leggings," _I'm not doing this right if she's still talking._ "At least leave me one- ** _fuck_** Ena!" _Much better._ _She doesn't need the fucking tights either._ Lavellan squeezed the archer's hips and pulled down to be even closer to the drenched core, she gently nipped the swollen bud with her canine and had been careful not to pierce or cut, before she decided to suckle roughly. A hail of cusses graced her ears and she pushed her tongue inside, her muffled groans vibrated through the velvet walls and she'd been rewarded with an even stronger taste that all but swallowed all of her sanity. The ache between her thighs had been just about the only thing that occasionally snapped her out of her trance, and she'd been immensely proud that not only had she brought pleasure to the one she loved, but that she'd actually given _pleasure_ and not _pain._ Her name had been hissed and chanted like some sort of revered god and she spelled out the letters of her name with what little room she had, naturally Sera caught on to this. "Friggin' weirdo," she breathed affectionately before another vulgar curse spilled from her lips, the thighs tightened around Lavellan's head and she ran her hands along them, her fingertips teasingly ghosted on the inner thighs. She'd been hellbent on doing everything she could think of that would stimulate and overload Sera, one hand blindly slid up until she kneaded a breast as she continued stroking the inner thigh. She dared to stop her ministrations and plant a chaste kiss to both legs, her eyes danced with mischievous glee when the rogue glared at her, "Don't even fucking **think** about teasing Ena."

"I'd never dream of it 'ma vhenan," she lilted with clear amusement, her coated lips spread in a wolfish grin and Sera huffed. Just as the archer had been about to say whatever it was she wanted to say- _more than likely to threaten me with arrows,_ Ellana suckled and nibbled on the sensitive clit, her pride skyrocketed at the sound of the hoarse cry. She squeezed one arm against her chest and winced at the awkward position of her wrist as she eased a finger inside Sera, she felt the way the walls throbbed periodically and the scent had grown even stronger. _She's almost there,_ she mused on other ways to drive the rogue just as crazy for revenge on all the teasing earlier, but she'd been just as eager to set the woman on fire-to set her _free._ "Let me take you to a place you've never been," she saw the confused look before it contorted to one of pleasure, she eased a second finger inside slowly so as not to set off the antivan grenade just yet. She wanted it to be sudden, explosive, to be far too much for Sera to handle or process with all the overwhelming sensations flooding in at once. A growl and threatening hiss above her, she ignored it as she cautiously set herself up and pushed in a third finger, gauging how the velvet walls clung to the digits for their life as it throbbed a little more often, _really close apparently._

Another surge of pride filled her, subtlety was usually lost on her and here she was, memorizing every single detail of her lover's body and engraving it into her very mind. _I wish I could give her all of me._ She gradually heated up her fingers and slowly raked the tips down opposite to her, " _Fuck me,_ " Sera hissed vengefully, and Lavellan stilled for a moment at the barely audible whisper, " _Ellana._ " _To g_ _ive her m_ _y heart_ _._ She set her fingers ablaze with a hot flame that instinctively reacted to the magic coursing the rogue's blood and connected, heating up the velvet walls until they'd been completely slick and turned into a place where it'd been safe for fire to dwell. _My soul._ A choked cry from the archer and she seized, Ellana took that as her hint as she pulled out her fingers only to roughly thrust them back in and aggressively raked them along the inner walls that spasmed erratically. She suckled the swollen bud and reveled in the ear shattering scream as hands wove through her hair to pull her impossibly closer, hips rocked forward and Sera breathlessly chanted _Ena_ over and over again as Lavellan continuously thrust when she had enough space to prolong **her** lover's orgasm. She lapped up whatever trickled out and ran her tongue along the heavily coated slit then flicked it against the hypersensitive bud, grinning when she elicited a wanton moan and a twitch as the creamy thighs reflexively squeezed against her. "Fuck," the rogue rasped tiredly, she carefully lifted one leg and rolled off until she collapsed on her back, her entire body reduced to mere quivering. _My love._

 _ **Ena, can you promise me something?**_

 _I'm not done yet._ _I may have broken promises but I still intend to keep one of them until the day I die._

 _ **Set me on fire.**_

" _Shit,_ " Sera snickered though it'd been clear she was exhausted, Ellana crawled over her and paid loving attention to her neck with tender kisses and playful nips. "Can't go 'nother round luv, gimme-"

"You **can** and you **will** ," passion knew no bounds and she was certain the archer still wanted this night to keep going, they both damn near knew each other inside and out by now. "You've done it lots of times before," the elven woman grinned when she suckled a patch of skin between her teeth and nibbled roughly, her own fire spurred on by the calloused hands that snuck under her shirt and scratched down the small of her back. "Fucking **yes** ," she growled ferociously and nipped a little harder again, she loved the way the nails dug in and clawed at her, scratching, marking, loving. It still felt wildly surreal that the rogue wanted this just as badly as she did despite all that's happened, and she wasn't about to squander her lucky chance. She was going to make things right once and for all, to fix her wrongs, to reassure Sera she wasn't wrong in risking her trust and heart all over again. Lavellan's lips blazed a trail up to the jaw bone and towards the archer's ear, she ran her tongue along the ridge to the tip and latched on. Her heart swelled impossibly large at the hoarse gasp and the breathless plea, her hand trembled as it hovered over to knead the creamy breast, it'd already sported a light hand print bruise from earlier. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but she couldn't help herself as the words spilled from her lips in a shaky whisper, "Let me make love to you Sera, _please._ " As expected the rogue stiffened for a moment and the nails dug in until they drew blood, but they never scratched. She tried again as she trailed back down the jaw bone then parted to look in eyes that reflected just as much -if not even more- nervousness as hers, "Please, can I?"

"Idiot..." Sera grinned affectionately and reached up as she framed the mage's face, she leaned up and pulled Lavellan at the same time for a sensual kiss, their lips melted seamlessly together and the archer ran her tongue along the roof of the mouth that never ceased to drive her insane. They both groaned and Ellana became more insistent, needy, demanding, she wanted to taste every part for she couldn't get enough of the spice that clung to Sera. What she did hadn't felt enough, she wanted to do **more** than just _make love_ or make the rogue scream her name over and over until the whole forest knew it. _Make love sounds a little wrong, I already love her. For more than her body or scent,_ she pushed harder against the mouth smothering her own and arms wove around her neck to pull her down with the archer, _for more than her taste or-_ her lips quirked up in the kiss- _her fire._ And then she stilled at the whisper that hit her lips, the razor sharp slits that clutched her eyes in a mixture of both nervousness and amusement, "You already did." _Huh?_

"I don't get it," Lavellan's eyebrow rose in confusion when the archer groaned exasperatedly and simply pulled her to shut her up with another kiss. She leaned back despite the arms that tried to hold her in place -however futile that was- and tilted her head, completely puzzled by Sera's response. "Sera?" When one hand reached over to tuck a stray lock behind the rogue's ear, her fingers felt warmth that radiated from the tip, "What did you mean?"

"Just shut up and kiss me, you'll figure it out."

"That's what you said earlier and I still haven't," another groan and Ellana rested their foreheads together as she peered in the anxious brown-green orbs, but what was even more bewildering was that she didn't sense it to be the _bad_ type of anxiety. _That doesn't make any sense at all!_

"Look it just sounds stupid in my head okay?"

"Doesn't it always?" She grinned childishly at the rush of giggles that hit her lips and jerked when the archer pinched the meaty flesh above her hip in revenge.

" _Arse,_ " the whisper had been laced with nothing but affection and the rogue tilted her head as she leaned up, a chaste kiss to the lips that always made her doubt her sanity one way or another. But never her passion. "Weirdo..." _This isn't helping me understand,_ "I could... Fuck do I really gotta say?" Lavellan nodded and her eyebrows scrunched together, she'd been completely clueless and the archer averted her gaze to the side as she mumbled, "I could _feel_ it." _This still isn't helping me understand._ Sera sighed when she stole a glance only to see the lost expression and bit out through clenched teeth, "Yer love ya daft tit!" _I'm_ ** _still_** _lost!_ "I _felt it_ when ya fucked me." Hardly romantic with such a vulgar explanation, but neither of them cared and would rather crude honesty over flowery words. "You already made love fuck Ena just take my word for it yeah?" The inferno mage nodded dumbly and Sera used the moment of confusion to her advantage as she grabbed on to the arm beside her head then bumped up her hips, twisting and rolling the two until she'd been on top again.

"But that still doesn't answer my question," she grinned with amusement when the archer groaned and rested her forehead on Lavellan's shoulder. Her fingertips skimmed the sides of the sweat-slicked hips and reveled in the knowledge that sweat poured _everywhere,_ because of _her_ heat, warmth, intensity and - _if I kinda get what she's saying-_ her love. "So does that mean I can make love to you?"

"I just said...!"

" **Again** ," Ellana growled and sat up as far as she could, she ignored the palms trying to push her down by her chest and easily overpowered the rogue as she crashed their mouths together. She mumbled against the plump lips that swelled from all the nibbling, and relished this knowledge that too was thanks to her, " **Again** and **again** and **again**."

"Fuck Ena, d'ya think I'm made of energy or somethin'?" The brown-green orbs twinkled with amusement when the elven woman nodded fervently, "I ain't you, weirdo..." She suckled on Lavellan's bottom lip and earned a heated groan, their eyes still glazed with desire yet shone bright with nothing but love so strong it nearly hurt. It suffocated what little air was left and both wanted nothing more than to touch, for their hearts to beat as one as their souls merged and kindled the flame that fueled them both. "It's your turn," Sera murmured and smirked when Ellana shook her head, her heart constricted and it pained her to even think the rogue still wanted to touch her too. "D'ya want me to forgive ya or not?" A fierce nod, "Then y'gotta let me do what **I** want luv." _But..._ Lavellan's forehead creased as she searched for answers in the archer's eyes, then closed her own as she inhaled deeply to see if she could sense or pick up anything through her scent-her _fire._ "Quit smellin' me weirdo," _it's a little scary how well she knows me, and knows what I'm doing._ "You ain't gonna find nothin', I just wanna do it too." Lips brushed over hers and the warm breaths puffed inside through the small crack of her mouth, "Let me _make love_ t'ya too luv. I want you to feel what I did, maybe you'll get it then." The mage hesitantly nodded and rested her palms on Sera's hips, she massaged small circles with her thumbs and sent little jolts of warmth, relieved when she saw a knowing smirk that indicated the archer both felt and knew what she was doing. Calloused hands slid along her toned stomach and Sera let out a low whistle, "Damn, y'don't just look well-fit, you feel that way too." She chuckled when a grin of pride easily swept Ellana's face, _I worked really hard to get where I am today._ " **Woof**."

"Woof? But I'm not-" a finger over her lips shushed her and the rogue rolled her eyes then shook her head, the warning glare commanded Lavellan to remain quiet.

"Don't blow this up with yer mouth, yeah?" The elven woman nodded in understanding and Sera smirked as she patted the cheek, "I know you won't last for a minute, but thanks for trying anyways luv." That sounded like a challenge, and Ellana's eyes narrowed as she grinned eagerly. "Don't think y'can ever do it, but it's the thought that counts... I guess."

 _ **Challenge fucking accepted.**_

 _I'll show her I don't have to talk! I **can** and I **will** shut up!_ That ferocity teetered and her resolve had been tampered by the calloused palms that ghosted along her stomach, her skin felt far too hypersensitive for her liking and she inwardly grumbled when it felt as though electricity danced along it. _And not fire... Fire's better. It beats everything!_ Mischief and amusement shone bright in the razor sharp slits and Sera teasingly skimmed her nails down the mage's stomach, who harshly bit down on her tongue in order not to make any sound whatsoever. _I'll do better than not talking, just to show you I can._ "Oh, yer not gonna make a peep at all now huh?" The rogue smirked smugly as she leaned down and trailed her tongue along the ridge of the collarbone, she gently nipped and chuckled huskily when Lavellan's hips arched just the slightest bit. "Mm~ I dunno if you can Ena. How long d'ya think you can last?" The elven woman nearly damned herself by instinctively answering _forever_ until she caught on right away, her eyes narrowed and Sera laughed throatily, "Damn. Almost gotcha." The nails raked down a touch bit rougher and Ellana bit the inside of her cheek, rumbles festered deep in her chest and she so dearly wanted to growl out _rougher, go rougher._ She wanted to _feel_ the burn, to see the marks, though her heart cried out for a moment when she watched the archer's gaze flicker down to the left half of her body where the burned skin seemed to haunt Sera. "It... Doesn't hurt if I touch it right?" Lavellan seemed conflicted for a moment before the rogue shook her head, "It's alright to talk just for this at least. I needa know Ena, does it-"

"It doesn't," Ellana stated gruffly, her throat was parched and she so dearly wanted to quench her thirst on a certain _someone_ who's scent still messed with her mind, her muscles itched to move and her thoughts had gone haywire every time the nails scratched just a touch bit harder. Sera nodded and wordlessly leaned down, the breaths of hesitance hit the marred skin and seeped through only for the mage to hiss pleasurably. The archer shot up until Lavellan shook her head, "Sensitive, but it doesn't hurt. I promise 'ma vhenan, you have nothing to worry about." Her lips spread in the childish warm grin as she stated proudly, "It's not a problem."

"Alright," the rogue still seemed reluctant but shrugged then settled down until she laid on Ellana, she propped herself up on her elbows and just looking down at Sera threatened to engulf the elven woman's sanity. "Can't talk anymore now," the archer lilted teasingly, and for the briefest of moments Lavellan had actually doubted her ability to keep her mouth sealed until her competitive spirit flared to life. _I **can** and I **will** ,_ her perseverance had been put to the test and she clutched the pelts below her in a death grip when Sera ran her tongue along the burned half length wise, only to stop to the side swell of her breast. _I never would have thought she'd ever touch these scars, and here she is. She still manages to surprise me every single day._ "Sit up for a sec will ya? Wanna take off yer bra-or you can just..."

It'd been burned off. Naturally.

"Do that..." The rogue snickered then enveloped one breast in her mouth and knead the other with her hand, and Ellana **finally** felt the _fire_ that coursed through her rather than the tingly sparks that crackled on her skin. _See? Fire's better._ She tried to occupy her mind and bit down on her cheek harder in order not to utter a single sound, it'd increasingly seemed impossible with the reactions Sera forced from her body. Her back arched and her hands flew up to weave in the golden locks, the hazy fog swallowed all coherent thought when she felt the archer's breasts rub against her stomach. _Get a hold of yourself, it's her goal to drive you insane. She **won't** win,_ she continuously chanted that inwardly and squeezed her eyes shut, her nerves thrummed with aggressive energy when Sera's smug laughter rumbled through her. _I'll win, I swear I'll fucking win this. I'll have the last laugh._ Canines teasingly scraped along her nipple and the taunting tongue flicked over it, the hand a stark contrast as it suddenly squeezed roughly and her back arched higher before it crashed back against the pelts. The moan bubbled in her chest but died at her throat before it had the chance to escape, at the very least she could sense the archer's impatience and this simply encouraged her, validated her sense of victory.

This easily showed on her face when she smirked triumphantly and it grew wider when Sera huffed, "Wipe that look off yer face Ena. I **promise** you I'll _make_ you scream," the low pitched husky tone sent a jolt of heat to the pits of Lavellan's stomach, her hips shifted the slightest bit and the ache that demanded attention the entire time had been borderline torturous now. The rogue propped herself up higher and released her hold on the breast with a resounding pop, she trailed her tongue downwards and teasingly scraped her teeth every now and then as she descended in a desperate attempt that was sure to make good on her word. She chuckled and shook her head when the tattered breeches soon joined the bra as it extinguished into nothing but air, not even ash had remained when the fire chewed away what little was left. "You're such a fucking weirdo, _flame-brain_ ," the affectionate tone made Lavellan grin as she looked down, the archer rolled her eyes and shimmied lower. She pushed her shoulders under the mage's thighs and hooked her arms around them, her fingertips drummed along the skin and her eyes glinted with amusement when she teasingly breathed over the dripping center. Ellana's head threw back and she clutched at the pelts again, it'd been as though the wind was knocked out of her from that simple action. Her chest rose and fell faster as her lungs tried to gulp the humid air in the tent, oh how _fucking **dearly**_ did she ever want to flip the two, pin Sera and have her way again.

"Y'look like yer havin' a tough time there luv, hangin' in there alright?" The scoff nearly left her until Lavellan bit her cheek and winced at the pain, the rasp chuckles that puffed against her threatened to burn the barrier that held her back. She was determined to earn the rogue's forgiveness and wanted Sera to let her do what she wanted to do, to express, but the more taunting and goading that took place... The more Ellana began to wonder if it truly was for the sake of forgiveness until she had agreed on one thing: _this is fucking torture. This is punishment right here._ A long hard lick dragged up the slit and her back arched, her hips shot off until they'd been forcefully pinned back down by the lithe arms around her thighs, the whimper festered in her throat until she clawed at the pelts in a death grip. A hum vibrated through her and ice-cold electricity shot through her spine until it'd been chased by intense warmth after, fingertips drummed along her hips and nails dug in roughly to contrast the butterfly kisses that trailed along her inner thighs. _Please... Fucking please,_ she rocked her hips forward in hopes Sera would understand what she wanted, she'd honestly wished for the punishment to just end already. There was no such luck, naturally, as the rogue hummed against her thighs instead and tenderly nibbled on the meaty flesh. Frustrated welled up in Lavellan's chest and her nerves thrummed with irritation, she accidentally bit down on her tongue hard enough to draw blood and yelped at the harsh sting. The archer's head shot up as Ellana sat up, her hands instinctively flew to her mouth.

"Ow!" She whined and muffled as she stuck a finger inside, "Fenedhis that hurts!" Sera's eyebrow rose in confusion as she watched the elven woman swipe along her mouth, then laughed at the sight of a fingertip stained with bright crimson blood. "This isn't funny," Lavellan scoffed then stuck her finger inside again to apply pressure, her words sounded awkward with a finger in the way and winced when she accidentally bit down on that as well. "This really hurts!"

"Such a baby," the rogue teased and released her hold on the thighs, she planted her palms beside Ellana's hips and pushed up. She tugged the mage's finger out of her mouth then into her own as she sucked on it, and another pang of unbearable heat shot through Lavellan's body as the pits of her belly roared with a wildfire that threatened to consume her very soul. White-noise embedded itself in her brain and she could hear her blood pulsing in her ears as if her heart had taken residence there, the pressure from the suckling and gentle scraping of teeth made her muscles _scream_ to move and take Sera all over again. "Lemme kiss it better." Before she had the chance to act on this desire the archer slid a hand to the back of her nape and pulled to crash their mouths together in a hungry kiss, the intoxicating tongue that had now been mixed with both her own taste and Sera's sparked something feral within her. They parted for much-needed insufferable oxygen until the rogue slammed their lips together again, the invasive tongue swept along Lavellan's and found the spot that had been bit down. The elven woman's hands clutched Sera's waist and effortlessly lifted her, she groaned when legs wrapped around her lower stomach and felt the wet core pulse against her. They'd been pressed impossibly close and their sweat-slicked skin made silly sounds as they squished or leaned back, a little pop crackled out and their lips quirked up in small smiles before they'd meet each other once again.

"Nuvenan hima sa i'na," Ellana whispered, the rogue grunted in kind and wove her fingers in the firebrand hair to nudge down, pulling the mage to her throat and groaning when warm lips blazed along the flushed neck.

"I don't speak elfy Ena," Sera rasped with surprising calm, interruptions had been damn near expected in every passionate session now, "The heck's that even mean?"

"I wish to become one with you," Lavellan pulled the archer closer and both groaned at the dripping center that rubbed against her stomach, she buried her face in Sera's neck and breathed shakily as she fought to get some measure of control over the roaring wildfire that set every nerve and muscle spindle ablaze. "I fucking love you **so much** it hurts."

"It's not s'posto hurt weirdo," the rogue quipped breathlessly then groaned when she intentionally ground against the stomach again, the pleasurable friction had been messing with her head and both of them all but forgot the _challenging_ competition earlier. They only listened to their body's demands, sought out to sate their cravings, and Sera retained enough sense to try and pay Ellana back for earlier as she squeezed one hand between them. Her thumb swiped along the side swell of the left breast where the burn consumed skin, though left the rest intact. Her palm swiped down and fingertips teasingly ghosted along the length of the burn again as she trailed feather-light kisses along the tanned shoulder, her eyes glazed over the shoulder blade and scar that reminded her of the time she stitched Lavellan at the Storm Coast. And then she shuddered as her gaze flicked to the scars from where the meat hooks had been torn out, the light pink scarred flesh was jagged and had been the toughest for her to stitch when the healthy tissue was too far apart to pull together. She'd been snapped out of her reverie when the elven woman growled in her neck, a gasp slipped past her lips from the sharp canines that bit down on the first permanent mark.

Something pulsed underneath and for a brief moment she was scared, having remembered the fact that there was magic in her because of that mark. And then it throbbed with familiar pleasant warmth, inferno she willingly dove into knowing she'd surely be safe this time. "Ena," she hissed when the mage pulled her closer, the rough friction of her core sliding along the flexed stomach made her see stars and she could feel muscles rippling beneath her. Lean arms held her in place and she squeezed her thighs, legs wrapped in a tight embrace that clung on for her dear life as white-hot pleasure began to blind her occasionally. " _Ena,_ " she whispered breathlessly, she tried to get it out but kept being interrupted by the infuriating mouth that insisted to be clamped over hers. She tilted her head to the side and rushed out the words in between kisses, Lavellan made talking ten times more difficult what with the pleasure and the searing lips cutting her off every damned time. "I was s'posto- _shit_ -f-for you, I wanted-"

"I can wait," Ellana murmured huskily, her hands slid up from underneath the thighs to cup the archer's _fucking amazing ass_ and pulled her closer again, in a futile yet hopeful attempt to merge the two. "You first, **again** and **again** and-" she pulled again then growled as she demanded ferociously, " **Again**."

"Jeez Ena there's no fucking room, quit pulling me," Sera chuckled and craned her neck to shower the tanned throat with playful nips, she experimentally ran her tongue along the scarred flesh that trailed down halfway the mage's neck. She'd been rewarded with a guttural moan that rumbled and vibrated through both of them, and choked out a gasp when Lavellan abruptly lifted her to slide higher until she'd been dropped down on her thighs. The delicious friction blinded her and she muffled her moan by sinking her teeth in the tanned shoulder, her feeble hold on reality threatened to crack every damned time the mage lifted her. _Her fire,_ Ellana sank her fingers in the rogue's rear end in a bruising grip as she lifted one last time, watching through half-lidded eyes as she looked up at Sera and grinned wolfishly. The archer's core throbbed and pulsed harder, the slick wet trailed up her stomach and her muscles contracted, they worked together in flawless synchrony to keep Sera where she was. Quivering lips smothered her own and she swallowed the rogue's shaky shallow breaths, she waited until the heaving chest slowed and when it seemed as though Sera gradually regained the ability to breathe, _she's close. She's so fucking close again,_ and just as the archer rested their foreheads together, she leaned her head back and abruptly dropped Sera. She reveled in the shattering cry as her name had been screamed out once more before teeth sank into her shoulder to muffle the loud moans, hips continuously twitched forward and Lavellan couldn't help but goad teasingly.

"I thought you said there's no more room?"

"Fuck you." Sera chuckled breathlessly and then grinned as she added, "And let me do it." She unhooked her legs and wasted no time to push the elven woman down before she could orientate herself as to what was going on. There was no more teasing to be had anymore, for she knew if she stalled again she'd get lost in the undertow of passion and Ellana would have the upper hand once again, especially now that drowsiness draped a heavy blanket over her mind. The sudden dominance and smug smirk served to only fuel the mage and returned one of her own, heated eyes clouded with desire that knew no bounds, that knew no such thing as 'the end'. It'd been infinite, constant, a well with no bottom like most emotions that compelled her to act and respond with just as much fervor. Just as Sera leaned down to kiss, she'd been caught off guard by fingers that aggressively thrust in her core and her eyes snapped wide open, her back arched and her moan had been muffled then swallowed by the mouth locked over hers. It hadn't been gentle or slow, but fulfilling, stretching, pumping ruthlessly and forcing her hips to writhe to the rhythm that seemed hellbent on bringing her climax hard and fast. Her brain short-circuited and she squeezed her eyes shut, yet was still able to see flashes of white as chilling electricity shot up her spine then flooded the rest of her body with searing flames.

 _Vera em su tarasyl._ A tongue invaded her mouth and claimed the territory for itself, she couldn't help but whimper and arch her pelvis to meet the fingers she **needed** more of. _Pala em elvar'el, sathem..._ The white-hot pleasure blinded her more frequently and she hadn't a choice in the matter any longer, Sera swept her tongue along the roof of Lavellan's mouth then suckled on her tongue as she thrust all three fingers up to the knuckles. The velvet walls clamped down as the digits curled and raked roughly, the sting of the nails had been a stark contrast to the overpowering pleasure as wave after overwhelming wave crashed down on her. Her eyes shot open and her back arched as she cried out, she willingly surrendered to the climax that rocked her to the very core and murmured Sera's name over and over again in a breathless chant as her head lulled from side to side. The rogue searched for a spot on the tanned shoulder and sank her teeth in to leave a mark, then collapsed beside the heaving woman as both their heads spun until they'd gradually come down from their high.

 _Creators..._ The adrenaline still thrummed along their nerves though they'd been too exhausted to do anything, Sera lazily draped herself over half of Ellana's body and the mage stretched out her arm so that her shoulder could be used as a pillow. After some time when their breathing eventually calmed and slowed, when their hearts returned to some semblance of normalcy-if such was even possible, the archer murmured hoarsely, "Holy fuck." Lavellan nodded fervently in agreement and they both chuckled albeit sleepily, "Think that was the hardest we've ever done. Least I know I won't be the only one fucking sore and cranky tomorrow." Yes, she was most definitely not going to be the only cranky one.

"Ready for round two?" Ellana hadn't been particularly serious until the words left her mouth, she looked down with amusement when Sera's head shot up only to stare at her in _not-really_ disbelief. Things like this weren't uncommon either after all.

"Didjya lose count? Y'fucked me twice remember?" _Twice in round one. Thrice in round two. Besides..._

"The rubbing didn't count. That was... A massage."

"Uh huh." The skepticism practically dripped from the archer's tongue. _Among other things._

"So... I couldn't help but notice how you didn't say no to round two." She couldn't care less that she'd been obviously switching the topic.

"Well. No. I'm tired Ena," the rogue snickered then adjusted her head on her make-shift pillow, "Already told you I ain't made of energy like you." That brought a childish grin to Lavellan's face and though she wished to continue, she also wanted to respect Sera's wishes and instead focused on settling down. She lifted her shoulder and craned her neck down as she planted a soft kiss to the disheveled golden hair, her lips spread in a sloppy smile at the archer's drowsy rumble of content. "Thanks," a small yawn, Sera snuggled closer and the two laughed at the exaggerated peck to the side of Lavellan's breast, the mage drew her in closer and her tummy pleasantly buzzed at the leg that draped over her to straddle her own. Just as she raised her thigh the slightest bit the rogue warned, "Don't even think about it Ena." _Aw._ "I'm pooped, go to sleep ye frigging horny twat."

"You first, I want to watch you sleep."

"Weirdo," Sera tilted her head up and gave a chaste kiss to the underside of the elven woman's jaw before she adjusted herself to be more comfortable. Their bodies had been a mass of sweat-slicked skin and the cool air had been a refreshing contrast to the boiling heat that radiated from a certain _flame-brain._ Ellana curled her arm and lazily stroked the archer's hair, lightly scratching every now and then and smiling when Sera would turn her head inwards to give a brief peck to the edge of her collarbone.

After some time, the mage glanced down after another chaste kiss pressed to her skin and her gaze flickered back to the ceiling of the tent. She'd sensed that the archer had felt less and less guilty when she caught Sera looking at the scars, and relief welled up in her that even the scarred half of her face didn't seem to bother either of them as much anymore. Though, all that remained now were the unanswered questions that still nagged her incessantly, for once she couldn't forget now that they pertained to her lover and she'd been slightly curious as to why the rogue acted the way she did. It couldn't hurt to ask now, surely, right? So she mumbled, "Hey, Sera?" A slight nudge with her hand and she felt the archer's head move to look up at her, "I was just thinking... Well. I've been kissing this whole time and... I still can't figure it out."

"Oh for the love of fuckin' Andraste," Sera snickered quietly then lifted her head only to plop down on her _pillow,_ "Shut up and go to sleep. You'll figure it out then," Lavellan detected a small measure of both nervousness and hesitance that didn't fit the rogue whatsoever, _almost like she's... Timid? No. Not Sera._ She had a feeling she wouldn't figure it out even if she slept if kissing didn't do anything, so she urged again in hopes to get a straight answer.

"Can't you just tell me? There's too many things I have to figure out," she whined, "Can I at least know what you meant when you said that what I vowed earlier wasn't a promise? I mean I even said I promised I'd walk with you every day," _wait, is that how it went?_ "Or something like that."

"You **just** said it, like you just answered yourself ye daft tit," the archer couldn't help but laugh now when she lifted her head and saw the clueless look on Ellana's face. Sera shimmied up higher and gave an exaggerated peck to the sullen lips that puckered in a frustrated frown as the muddled mage tried to figure it out. Her head hurt dammit. _Why can't she just tell me?_ A flick to her nose, the rogue's eyes shone bright with endless affection and her lips curled in a fond smirk, "It's not a promise because it's..." Her gaze flickered momentarily and a finger scratched her cheek as she reluctantly mumbled the rest, "A vow."

"...Oh." _Wow I feel **stupid** now._ Her lips curled in a sheepish smile in response to the archer's contagious laughter, Sera patted her cheek then settled back down on her shoulder. _But now I don't get why she reacted the way she did._

"Now shut up, go to sleep and figure out the rest by yourself." _What's the difference between a vow and promise to her? Words don't mean much to her still, do they?_

"Ma nuvenin, 'ma vhenan." _Ah well. I'll figure it out eventually._ She grinned as she circled her arms around the rogue in a warm embrace, _after all, I told her I'll walk with her every day. Or something like that._ Her consciousness soon drifted off and the darkness tempted her, coherent thought ebbed and flowed before it'd been lost to the abyss soon after. _That my heart be her shelter, and that..._

 _ **My arms be your home.**_

* * *

A beautiful morning, no messed up dreams nor nightmares - _well I remember really weird fragments of it but whatever_ \- and the sun shone bright as it peered through the tiny crack of the tent flaps. The best part, however, was waking up next to the woman sprawled on top of her with arms that clung to her and hands that cupped her shoulder blades, Ellana lifted her head and smiled when all she could see was hair that stuck out in all sorts of angles and the tip of the nose that poked out. Her fingertips lazily skimmed up and down the archer's spine while the other hand wove into the blonde locks to scratch, a pleasant hum rumbled through her when Sera eventually stirred awake. The accent had been heavily laced with drowsiness and the rogue slowly pushed herself up, "Mornin' luv..." The tired smile made Lavellan's heart flutter and she couldn't help but slide her hand along the archer's nape, pulling her for a tender kiss and savoring the taste. After all that happened last night and now, it **still** felt surreal that Sera **let** her do this, _to kiss her, make love to her, and to wake up with her._ Happiness flooded in and her enthusiasm had been contagious, plump lips eagerly reciprocated hers as the rogue shimmied higher then straddled her hips. Just as she'd hoped for _round two_ and was about to reach for the core pressed to her, Sera dropped her weight as she pinned the mage's wrists above her head then slid down her forearms only to grip her elbows. There was **no** escaping this no matter how strong Lavellan had gotten, and a sullen pout swept her face. "Normally I'd say fuck yeah, but I'm really friggin' sore Ena."

"I just want to massage a little, it'll feel better if I do." Ellana grumbled and mock-sulked when the rogue laughed, the radiant sound alone was enough to make her day and she hadn't lasted long until her mouth unwillingly pulled in a grin, proud that it was her who made Sera laugh or giggle. Her _innocent_ cover had been blown to pieces and immediately seen through, not that she had particularly minded but she had been a little bummed out when she still craved the addicting scent and taste. It was a never ending desire, but there had been a voice at the back of her mind chastising her irresponsibility and reminding her of her duty, _mng. Why did the Keeper have to send me? I told her the hunters would have been better..._ At that thought, she realized she would have never met Sera otherwise, though she wished she could just lop off her hand and _hand_ it off to somebody else-if it still worked in sealing rifts anyways. She could make stupid jokes like, _need a hand?_ Or go up to Leliana and _left hand for the Left Hand._ Or, in the event if Leliana became the divine, _this_ _can be the_ _L_ _eft_ _H_ _and_ _of the divine_ _..._ And then it struck her that in order to make all those morbid puns, it'd have been incredibly painful and it'd been safe to agree it wasn't worth it. After all, there were still **incredibly** important uses: all of them mostly revolved around Sera and fire or fighting before the fact it was the only way to easily seal the rifts.

"C'mon," Sera snapped her out of her random musing and teasingly nipped the elven woman's bottom lip as if to taunt her with what she couldn't have. "We ought to get up and get movin', somebody's gotta fix the world right?"

" _You're_ responsible?" Ellana grinned when the archer harshly bit down her lip in revenge, as soon as the hands freed her elbows she reacted swiftly. She forced them to sit up when she shot up and wrapped her arms around Sera's waist before she could protest, showering the creamy and slightly bruised throat with warm kisses and surprisingly-gentle nips. Fists lightly punched at the front of her shoulders until she squeezed tighter and gave no room or chance for the _cruel_ abuse, "All I want is to kiss you," she whined, "At least let me do that."

"Yer kisses," the husky tone betrayed Sera and she clutched on the mage as lips blazed along her jaw bone to her ear, "Are driving me bloody insane, luv." Lavellan's mouth naturally spread in a smug smirk and the pits of her belly stirred with fire at the rogue's hoarse gasp, she decided to get revenge for all the teasing last night and planted one last kiss to the mark on Sera's throat, ensuring she'd be as soft and tender as possible. She'd been keenly aware of the hips that instinctively shifted against her then abruptly parted, her hands slid to the archer's wrists and pulled as she rose, " _Wah!_ The hell are ye doin' ya daft tit?!"

"We have to get up," Ellana shrugged at the warning glare and eyes that _dared_ her **not** to finish what she started. "We've more than likely kept the others waiting and like you said, somebody's got to fix the world." Before Sera had the chance to protest or intervene, she released her grip and escaped the tent with the rogue shouting after her to come back.

"Don't just hop out with yer...! Tits flopping..." The archer stepped out and both their eyebrows rose in confusion, the camp had been deserted and there were no other tents around, "Out...? Uh, where the fuck is everybody?" Lavellan's head tilted up and she sniffed the air, her head snapped to the direction of which she'd recognized all three familiar scents and pointed down. The two squinted in the distance and saw another small campfire with what looked to be Varric slaving over the bowl, and the other tents set up under the scorching sun, "Uh..." To say they were utterly confused was an understatement, they wracked their sleep-addled brains -naturally covered by the hazy fog of lust- for answers they didn't have. "Did we frig so hard we moved our own tent over here or something?" The two chuckled at that amusing idea and Lavellan shrugged again, Sera swiftly made way for their packs then tossed it back in the tent as she grabbed the mage's wrist and dragged her back inside. "C'mon let's grab some new clothes and find out what the hell happened."

"Do I get to choose?"

"Choose what?"

"Uh," Ellana's tone was matter-of-fact and her eyebrow rose, "What I get to burn next? Duh. You're weird."

"W-wha...?! I'm not weird you're weird! Why m'I the weird one?!" Sera reached inside her pack and blindly fumbled for clothes, she grumbled when she pulled some out then glared at the mage, "No, y'can't choose **or** burn them. Leave me **somethin** ' ye daft tit, I ain't going streaking in the desert!"

"Might have to," the inferno mage grinned excitedly just at the very thought of it, "It's going to be **really** hot there, especially if you'll be walking beside me."

"Well I bloody won't then!"

"Aw c'mon, don't be like that~" Lavellan reached down and grasped the rogue's wrist, pulling her up and wrapping an arm around her waist before she had the chance to react. She buried her face in Sera's neck and inhaled deeply, her grin grew wider when a fist pounded against her shoulder as the archer demanded to be let go. Every time she tried to catch the evasive mouth, Sera's own playful grin grew from ear to ear and the elven woman whined, "I just wanna kiss." Finally she'd been able to smother the plump lips over her own, but whined in the archer's despondent mouth and parted with a pout, "Why are you so mean to me?"

"Coz it's fun," Sera teased with a smug smirk of amusement, she gently pushed away and jerked her head towards Ellana's sack, "Dress up already y'frigging stripper."

"You love it-me," Lavellan stuck out her tongue childishly when the rogue rolled her eyes before she snickered, her heart swelled when Sera nodded in agreement rather than attempt to deny it. Still, she wanted to hear it too and couldn't help but push her luck, "Can you say it too?"

"Jeez so demanding," the archer lilted, she knelt down and stuffed her hands inside Ellana's pack then grabbed random clothes, the tips of her ears a light pink as she tossed the _annoying_ articles that were apparently a _crime of nature._ She reluctantly started to dress and stole a side glance before back at the clothing, a sad frown splayed on her face as she glared at the treacherous bra. "Don't stare at it like that, you'll set that shit on fire with yer eyes. I know ya wanna burn it to a friggin' crisp."

"You forgot the part where there won't even be any ashes left," the mage quipped cheerfully and set about looping her head and arm through the holes. She glanced over her shoulder when Sera stepped behind her to pull down and adjust the fabric so that it'd fit snug and gave the support she needed, her stomach twisted unpleasantly when the rogue didn't seem as though she'd say the words. On any other day she wouldn't have truly minded and didn't press for she could sense what Sera typically felt -as if the actions didn't scream it loud enough- but at the same time with all that happened lately, _with what I've done..._ She just wanted to hear it, to validate it, for she terribly missed the words and felt like a little moping child, disappointed she hadn't gotten the toy she asked for. And then her ears tickled, lithe arms slipped around her waist as the archer embraced her, warm breaths seeped through the tangled hair that couldn't make up it's mind whether it wanted to be straight or wavy or just defy gravity. Her skin felt hypersensitive with each puff that managed to hit her neck and her blood gradually began to boil, she'd wanted nothing more than to truly know she'd earned Sera's forgiveness by giving her the best day and night of her life.

 **Every. Single. Day.**

And then it came, the barely audible breathless murmur that had been difficult to hear even with enhanced senses. " _I love you, Ellana._ " The second time her full name had been used, and it pulled her heart in every single direction at hearing the difference between it being uttered with pure lust, and now the stark contrast when it was filled with nothing but affection. How cruel fate was to force her to at least think about duty, every part of her burned with the same infinite desire to make Sera scream her name over and over again.

"S-Sera," as much as she absolutely _loathed_ it, the archer had a point. The world needed fixing, and she hated the words with a _fucking passion_ as soon as they left her mouth, "As much as I really want to burn your clothes off and take you right here, we have to-"

"I know." The amusement hadn't gone unnoticed and the lithe hands slid along Lavellan's stomach until they'd gone back to adjust her bra. Sera plucked underwear and breeches next, playfully tossing it at the elven woman's face as she lilted tauntingly, "Dress yourself up for once."

"Do I have to?"

"What the fuck-yes!" The rogue circled until she stood in front of Ellana and framed her face, a warning glare in her eyes, "Only I get to see you like this. **My. Eyes. Only.** Got that Ena?" A gulp, Sera could definitely be frightening when she wanted to be and the mage nodded fervently, "Good, s'what I thought." A shirt had been shoved in Lavellan's hands and she looked at sadly, the archer rolled her eyes and then turned around to continue dressing up herself, only to earn an even more mournful look from the elven woman. When Sera glanced over her shoulder, she burst out laughing, "For shit's sake Ena y'look like this is the saddest fucking thing that's ever happened."

"Because it is!" Ellana urged, she truly was being serious and her eyebrows furrowed when the rogue continued to laugh, "I swear, it really is!" The rich and radiant sound made her belly buzz pleasantly and she couldn't help but grin, the effectiveness of her insistence dwindled down to nothing when she too laughed. Just as Sera had been about to shove her head through her shirt, the mage stopped her and whispered heatedly in her ear, "Remember this moment 'ma vhenan. The next time you get rid of this shirt," her voice dropped a lower pitch and she reveled in the shudder that rolled through the rogue, "Jupalan ma sule ma tel'aman melin."

"Already said I don't frigging speak-"

"I will fuck you so much that you won't remember your name." _And only know mine._ She grinned wolfishly when the brown-green orbs clouded at that promise, she nonchalantly turned around and quietly dressed. She glanced over her shoulder and noticed that the archer looked at her shirt with a torn and sorrowful expression, "See? I told you." Her lips curled in a smirk of flawless victory and she waved as she casually exited the tent, "It **is** the saddest fucking thing that's ever happened."

* * *

"Wow you guys look like shite," Sera's eyes widened when she noticed dark circles under Cassandra and Varric's eyes, the Seeker scoffed sarcastically and the dwarf chuckled as he grumbled under his breath. The archer had been determined not to even look at a certain grinning _flame-brain_ who still wore a triumphant and smug look over what happened in the tent. _Arse. She'll pay for that,_ _wait until she sees what I got in fuckin' store for her._ And then she tapped at her own eyelid as she asked Varric, "Why's everybody look like zombies? And why the heck did you all move over here?" Another scoff from Cassandra and her eyebrow rose in confusion, she exchanged clueless glances with Ellana who merely shrugged.

"Let's just say," Varric's lips curled in a subtle smirk, "It was a rather... Action-packed night." _Huh? What's that got to do with movin' here?_ "The Seeker here had been about to-"

" **Shut. Up. Varric.** "

"Check on you after she heard some concerning... Noises. But I stopped her just in time." And then it dawned on both elves at the same time, Sera cackled with glee and Lavellan couldn't help but join her.

" **It's not funny** ," Cassandra growled dangerously, her tired eyes flashed with killing intent that immediately shut both elves up. They still couldn't stifle the chuckles that bubbled in their chest and spilled from time to time, they sucked in their bottom lips in an attempt not to smile. And then the Seeker turned around, her cheeks flushed as she made a noise of disgust, "Ugh..." She dared glance over her shoulder then walked away as she grumbled half-sincerely, "I'm glad you two... Settled things."

It'd been too tempting, too good of a chance to pass up. Sera grinned radiantly and had been completely shameless of the entire act, she quipped suggestively, "More than one way, yeah?" She saw a fist in her peripheral vision and looked over only to see Lavellan extended her arm, the elven woman had been desperately trying not to lose it and they both snickered when Sera fist bumped her. Cassandra groaned and face palmed as she retreated back to the safety of her tent, and the two elves howled with mirth when they too knew they were safe from agonizing death. Ellana slung her arm over the archer's shoulders for support and Varric merely shook his head as he tiredly chuckled along. There was no other place Sera would rather be than here, **ever** , beside **her** Loony and laughing as if all was right in the world. Her heart fluttered as she thumbed and spun the _promise_ ring around the _important_ middle finger, she looked up and grinned at Lavellan when she saw that the mage noticed her playing with the wooden band-though she still didn't know just what type of wood nor truly cared. _She looks so fuckin' happy. Me, too._ She reached down and instinctively intertwined their fingers then leaned over as she whispered in Ellana's ear, "How about we settle things, luv? Round two." All the work of trying to get back into clothing only to tempt the one who hated them with a passion, and it wasn't as though the group was in a rush to go anywhere with the zombies lumbering around their own camp as they sluggishly got their things ready. There would be enough time for a toss in the sheets or two, maybe.

"Mm," and then her stomach sank, she'd recognize that mischievous glint in the amber specks and that _innocent_ tone - _bullshit_ \- anywhere. "I dunno," Lavellan shrugged nonchalantly then tugged on her hand, walking side by side with her back to their tent. "I kind of need you to remember your name. After all, what's going to happen if I call out for you in the heat of the battle?"

"It's thanks to you I'll forget it in the _heat_ of the _battle._ "

"Round two it is." Carefree giggles resounded in the air and their walk easily turned into a full-out sprint, though they remained awkwardly linked with their hands and Sera had been pulled along. Her gaze fell to their joined fingers and her belly buzzed with bees when she recalled Ellana's _vow_ last night, _this tit don't even get what she did, as usual. Always sayin' things that could be taken the wrong way,_ or was it right, this time? _Never havin' a frigging clue, but_ _at least_ _one thing's for sure._

 _ **I promise from this day forward, you will not walk alone.**_


	34. Flight of the Phoenix

**Hope you enjoy, cheers mates!**

 **Publish Date:** 01-15-2016

 **AN:** For those who have yet to read Taming Gravity or Unbreakable's updates (or don't fancy those stories) happy belated new years! My apologies for taking a while to update my main stories, I'll spare the excuses and save your eyes from the strain of my incessant rambling :P I did want to point out one thing that I've never known about fanfiction for all that years I've been using it lol (you can skip this if you've read the AN in Taming Gravity's update since it's the same thing).

In the center just above the 'hope you enjoy' and below the story summary there's a little "menu" where you can customize your reading experience. You can change the font size, font type, the spacing and the contrast. I seriously never knew this lol. I figured I'd share that tidbit with you (the black background and white font looks pretty badass and I think it actually suits DA:I's theme/atmosphere a little more than plain white with black font).

 **Personal recommendations:** Of course it's totally up to you, but so far I like this. _Font:_ Helvetica (may need to adjust the size), _Spacing:_ full or 3/4, expand (expand should make it easier on your eyes for those lengthy paragraphs), and then _Contrast:_ black background white font. Keeping the 3/4 spacing in mind I'll try and keep the paragraphs relatively short just so they aren't huge blocks of text like past chapters (fixed many of Terra's chapters that suffered from like 20 sentence paragraphs lol). Again this is just what appeals to me personally, have fun playing around with the settings yourself :) Enough rambling, **on to the story!**

 **Elvhen Vocabulary**

 _'Ma vhenan:_ My heart

 _Pala em:_ Fuck me

 _'Ma sula:_ My song

* * *

 **Flight of the Phoenix**

* * *

"Let's dance." The two sat outside on stumps with their chins on palms, they'd been promptly threatened by Cassandra not to even _dare_ set a foot back in their tent unless it was to pack it up. They moved slower than snails and had been completely disheartened, nothing fired them up and packing up the tent had been done with absolutely zero enthusiasm. Now, as they waited for the zombies to do the same to their gear, boredom swept them like a tide until Ellana blurted the outrageous idea, her heart lightened and her head whipped to the bored archer who hadn't even physically reacted.

"No."

"Come on~" the mage shot up and walked over to the stump Sera sat on then knelt in front of her, she rubbed the rogue's knees and her fingers drummed along her thighs, "Be nice to me!"

"I should be friggin' saying that, d'ya know what yer _dancing_ does to my toes?"

"I give them my full undivided attention."

"Yeah," Sera chuckled at the rapid and easy answer, "So much attention they end up dyin' and I need 'em." The archer's bored gaze finally moved from the barren plains to Lavellan, she couldn't help but roll her eyes at the elven woman's pout and pleading eyes-or rather eye. _For shit's sake._ " **No**."

"I love you?" _Ya coz that'll work. Maybe a little._

"No means no." _Why do I bother?_

"Come on!" _She never listens anyway._

" **NO**." Of course, there was no resisting an excited and stubborn _flame-brain,_ and before she even realized what had happened there were arms around her waist and she'd been promptly lifted in the air. The world spun around her and she yelped in surprise, but oriented to her new situation rather quickly with how often she'd seen the _pretty arse_ from this particular angle. She slammed her fists in Ellana's shoulder blades, "Ena, put me down ye half wit!" _So glad I haven't strapped my armor on yet, that shite would hurt so bad right now._

"We can dance this way! Your toes will be safe," judging by the tone Sera guessed that the mage sported a large proud grin at the _clever_ logic, her head and arms hung dejectedly. Her hands swung to and fro as Lavellan merely spun in circles and cackled with enthusiastic glee, she didn't dare look at Varric in the eyes when she noticed the dwarf rush over to search his pack for whatever it was he suddenly needed. _He's gonna frigging write this down isn't he? Ugh,_ _ **fuck**_ _. Where the hell does Ena always get all this energy?_ She groaned when the camp was out of view, and when the elven woman marched over she knew for a fact that her _arse is on bloody display for everyone._ "Hey, are you guys done packing up yet?" Sera chuckled then sighed as she continued to swing around, _daft tit's excited enough to wanna pick a fight with somethin' now I bet._

Resigning to her fate, the sounds of stifled laughter from the other companions hadn't even bothered her any longer, _used to this shite. How bad is that?_ "All that's left is strap the gear to the horses," Cassandra had a mildly amused tone buried by the effort to remain serious, _Ena's just talkin' normally with an arse beside her face. Didn't we tell her that's frigging weird?_ "We'll have to stop by an Inquisition camp, Solas noted that we don't have any maps of this area or the Western Approach."

"What if they don't have any?" Ellana carefully -and **finally** \- set the archer back down, Sera shot a warning glare to the smirking dwarf who was scribbling down notes at a furious pace, _knew it, he's writing it. Now everyone's gonna know 'bout my bloody arse, jeez._

"I'll stay with the scouts and help them draw a few," Solas tightened the straps on his backpack then slung it over his shoulders after he'd tied the pack to his horse, "I can venture into the Fade and commune with spirits." _Ugh. Always has to be fade and magic with 'im, what happened to good old fashioned walking and figuring it out from there?_

"Alright," the inferno mage shrugged and nodded, her lips swiftly spread into an eager grin and she slammed her fist in her palm, _yup I know what this means._ "Let's hope they don't have the maps then," everybody but Sera was confused and Lavellan's untainted eye lit up with fire raring to go, "I want to _exalt_ the Venatori out of _my_ plains."

 _Called it._

"Exalt typically means to hold someone in high regard or to raise someone's station Phoenix," Varric chuckled when the elven woman's expression fell, her _cleverness_ easily smashed by the technicality of a definition. _Can't you see yer breakin' her heart? I can hear it._

"Well," the rogue crossed her arms then bumped shoulders with Ellana as she offered, "Raise someone's station huh? Ena's got that covered then, she'll blow them sky high." Her heart swelled with affection though she played it like it was no big deal, she shrugged when the massive grin returned to the mage's face. She noticed a fist in her peripheral vision and she glanced over, her lips pulled in a smirk as she fist bumped Lavellan and easily grinned cheekily when warm lips connected with her freckled cheekbone soon after. "Always got yer back, luv."

"More than that," Ellana's fond murmur left sparks and tingles buzzing inside her, her eyes softened as she watched the mage bounce away to help pack things even faster. The quiet mumble meant only for her ears replayed over and over in her mind, and pride welled up in her. _Cheesy sap, always saying this shit too damn easily._ "You'll always have my heart, too."

* * *

Wish granted, the Inquisition scouts didn't have the maps and Solas stayed behind as planned. In the mean time there were disturbing reports of the freemen hoarding corpses to resurrect and do their bidding, all under the orders of some delusional fool named Gordian. Lavellan was visibly upset just at the prospect of demons being summoned to possess and defile brave soldiers who sacrificed themselves to fight in what they believed in, _forget whomever's side they fought for in the civil war. Forget why they fought for their beliefs are their own, you don't just spit on their sacrifice!_ Upon hearing the news and demanding where the ramparts were, Ellana immediately charged off out of anger and wanted to _see_ those who dare desecrate and dishonor the dead herself. Her lips spread in a bloodthirsty grin and lava surged through her veins, it had nearly been a day since her last fight and it was still too long.

 _Time to **exalt** these assholes._

Not entirely interested in the freemen themselves, she wanted to be face to face with the actual leader and charged for the first set of spiked pillars of what seemed to be a section of ramparts. Distant calls had all been filtered out by her focus and desire to meet this _Gordian,_ and she rushed past corpses that gradually clawed towards their feet as she delved deeper. _I'll blow them all away at once,_ it was a relief to know that the dead were cremated rather than buried like her own people, and she shook her head of depressing thoughts before they bore fruit. Her parents lingered in the back of her mind and her eyebrows furrowed, her head whipped left and right as she watched corpses stumble their way for her. Her nose wrinkled at the horrid decaying stench and rage festered within her chest, she needed to find this leader and now before she exploded and went on a spree. How she dearly wished she could burn everything to hell until she'd exhausted herself, _I have to find this man_ _ **now**_ _._

Turning heel, she sprinted up steps and her eyes darted around her surroundings, she frantically waved out an arm as high as she could when she noticed the group crossing the bridge to enter the lower levels. With all the dead resurrected, they'd have no choice but to fight through the crowd in order to reach Lavellan, _I have faith in them, in Sera._ Spurred on just at the thought of reuniting with her allies, she extended her hand and flames spawned then swirled down her forearm until she'd shot a fireball at a couple of corpses climbing the stairs towards her. She cringed at the shrieks and this only served to fuel her rising wrath, _these souls are condemned to eternal agony, I_ _ **can't**_ _add to that._ She had to reach the heart of the problem and burn the roots, and with renewed resolve she continued to sprint past corpses that rose from the ground as she weaved through the trenches.

"Gordian!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, "I'm going to teach you how to respect the dead, and burn you to a frigging crisp!" Another set of stairs, her eyes widened with disbelief and she just barely leaped back down in time to dodge crimson flames that could have marred her face. _What the fuck was that?!_ _Th_ _at fire_ _reek_ _s_ _,_ _no way I'm stealing those flames._ Her heart hammered in her chest and she couldn't believe her eyes, the woman that approached her and waited at the top of the stairs had an arrogant smirk on her face, her fists set ablaze by garnet fire. _What sorcery is this, illusion magic?_ The fire mage before her was a spitting image of herself, copied perfectly even with her new scars that enveloped half her face, "Who the fuck are you?!" Instead of getting answers the impostor reeled back their fist and jumped from the top of the stairs, and Lavellan somersaulted backwards to dodge the deadly strike of one she was _too_ familiar with.

 _An abomination, has to be._ An explosion rang out and as her palms dug into the ground it shifted immensely until it sunk under the force of the _abhorrent_ magic, she just barely managed to land on her feet before she had to leap out of the way again. "Answer me!" _This is pissing me off!_ The flames that wrapped around the clone's hands smelled and _tasted_ incredibly gross, it's loathsome sensation alone left a repulsive taste on her tongue and she shuddered with disgust. The one that repeatedly tried to assault her over and over again didn't seem to be interested in talking and Ellana grinned wolfishly, _that's fucking fine with me, I prefer it that way._ She slammed her fist in her palm and spawned flames, driving her fist in the ground to kick up dirt only to be surprised that when she had leaped into the air, the clone was already there to meet her and drove a knee into her gut.

"I can hear your movements. I can hear everything." _What the fuck is she talking about?! I can't even understand myself!  
_

Crashing painfully into the ground, the elven woman retained enough sense to protectively cradle her head with her hands and grunted from the impact. She rolled out of the way when the impostor dove straight for her with a ball of flame growing ever so larger between hands that looked _exactly_ like hers, and she gritted her teeth as her muddled mind tried to process just what in the world was happening. Even as she rolled she'd still been caught and yelped when the disgusting flames singed her cheek, flames that _shouldn't_ have stung but had. Anger easily stripped conscious thought and she desperately retaliated by exchanging blows -or what _should_ have been exchanging- except that she was still being pummeled, and still hadn't been able to land a single hit on her impostor. _What the fuck is this_ _shit?! Why can't I get her?!_ Her eyes widened when a new figure stood atop the stairs and watched the spectacle, the man donned traditional venatori robes and he'd taken off a damp glove.

 _ **Fuck** **.**_

In that instant all answers came together as she watched blood drip off the end of the glove and soil the earth, the man grinned sadistcally as he unsheathed a blade and dragged it across his palm. _Blood magic!_ Another hit to the gut and she groaned, she tried to catch her clone's ankle and hold her in place but the woman deftly evaded her attempt."It's no use," the venatori spellbinder announced with clear arrogance, "She can hear your thoughts, knows everything you're thinking of." _That's unfair, how come she can and I can't?!_ The haughty laughter filled the air and Lavellan rolled on her stomach to push herself up, her jaw clenched to the point it hurt as the smug man extended his arms, "Behold! The perfect copy of the Inquisitor under **my** command!" _His command? And how does he know who I am?_ Her eyes darted to the impostor who waited with a ruthless grin then back at the spellbinder, _whatever, that just makes my job easier then!_

Charging for the venatori instead, Ellana wrapped her arms and legs in flames and used the explosive force to gain height as she leaped. She was kicked back down when her clone intercepted her mid-jump but hadn't relented in her assault, every attempt was effectively thwarted and deflected each time she tried to go directly for the spellbinder. "Fenedhis!" Her frustration threatened to blind her and her untainted eye glowed with rage, the man's haughty laughter only served as fuel and she was repulsed by how he simply dragged the blade along his forearm to seemingly prolong the clone's life. _It can hear my thoughts but I can't do the same, this is bullshit!_ "Fight me fair and square bitch!" Flames swirled around her arm and out of her anger she drove the fist into the ground again as she cussed, the ground cracked under the immense weight and sunk to form a crater.

Leaping once more only to cross her forearms to block the powerful kick that sent her scrambling back, her wrath easily consumed conscious thought and her blood boiled to the point steam rose from her. She'd been blinded by anger and shouted when her and the clone were in a deadlock, their foreheads slammed against each other and arms clutched around their necks as both tried to wrestle into a grappling clinch hold. Any time the mage tried to strike with her knee it'd effectively been blocked, and she grunted when she just barely managed to stop the powerful attempts that guaranteed to knock the wind out of her. A swift punch evaded her block and she took a hit to the solar plexus, her hold weakened and her lips parted as blood escaped her mouth. " **Fuck**!"

Stumbling backwards, her arms wrapped around her midriff and she felt incredibly dizzy. The world spun around her and she was absolutely infuriated when her impostor merely stood there, a smug wolfish grin on _it's_ face as if delighted to see her constantly struggle no matter how futile her efforts were. _This is **pissing me off!**_ More steam rose from her battered body and her vision blurred, her ears twitched when she heard her companions call out for her in the distance and her head threw back. She sucked in a deep breath and roared at the top of her lungs, she needed reinforcements **now** if she had any hope of surviving this grueling battle. " **I'M RIGHT HEEEEEEEERE!** " Her anger threatened to choke her and once again she took it all out as she proceeded to demolish the landscape, her throat raw and parched as she continued to scream so that her allies could find her. Her head snapped up when she realized both clone and venatori had their hands over their ears, and she grinned with delight as she charged forward after the two that were now completely open to attacks.

 _Exactly like me, right? Enhanced hearing,_ which more than likely meant she'd ruptured the _abomination's_ ear drums from her screaming. She sucked in another deep breath as she screamed both within her mind and out loud, _listen to **this**! _ " **I'm gonna turn you to fucking ashes!**" Reeling back her fist and summoning the fire from within that had even left her sweating -the one stolen from the dragon long ago- she sprints forth and tightly grips her impostor's face. As her companions rushed up the stairs in her peripheral vision, she blew away the clone at point blank range and immediately sprinted forth as she crossed her forearms for flames to swirl among them. She lashed out and the fire flew forward like a whip until it expanded like wings, the venatori spellbinder had no hope to conjure a barrier to protect himself in time as everything around him was set ablaze by the merciless inferno.

Echoes of agonizing shrieks filled the air as the man had been incinerated on the spot, leaving nothing but literal ashes on the ground when the elven woman outstretched her hand then clenched in a tight fist to extinguish her flames. Ellana wiped the back of her hand across her sweaty forehead and stomped up the stairs, she spat at the remains then wiped away the remnant blood that dried and crusted on her chin. She turned towards her puzzled companions when Varric inquired albeit with a confused tone, "Uh... Was that seriously a copy of you or were my eyes playing tricks on me?"

"Wow," Sera scoffed then snorted in laughter, "The fuck are these daft tits thinkin'? Let's make another Ena so that both of 'em," she made a point for her gaze to travel across cratered and totally destroyed battlefield, "Can blow this whole place to fuckin' hell, smart yeah?" The mage grinned tiredly and bent to rest her hands on her knees as she focused to catch her breath, her chest heaved heavily and she'd been grateful to feel a familiar pair of hands soothingly rub at her shoulders. "That's whatcha get for heading off without us, next time wait for us _flame-brain_."

"It's not a problem," Lavellan rasped hoarsely and winced at how parched her throat was from the screaming, _I definitely need a drink soon._

"It ain't 'bout that luv," _huh?_ Ellana straightened out and was puzzled when the archer grinned cheekily at her, "You blew up my chance." _Chance at what?_ "I woulda totally had fun smacking the shit outta you." Cassandra and Varric chuckled while the inferno mage's expression fell as her jaw hung almost comically when Sera added, "Woulda been funny just to watch you beat yourself up too. Gives a whole new meaning to _don't hit yourself,_ yeah?"

"Thanks for the support 'ma vhenan," Lavellan whined with a mock-hurt pout, "I feel the love." A calloused hand bunched up the collar of her tattered shirt and yanked her until plump lips crashed over hers in a heated kiss, she mentally grumbled at the thought that _I'm trying to regain my breath._ Left completely breathless and slightly dizzy, Sera parted with a smug smirk and disgusted noise from the Seeker. _No, don't go yet. Can't duty wait a few more minutes?_ The archer patted her rear end as she passed Ellana to climb up the steps that lead to the corpse pit responsible for feeding this rampart's forces, and she purposefully walked with a touch bit more sway in her hips. _The things you fucking do to me... Creators save my soul and preserve what little sanity I have left.  
_

A flask was tossed the elven woman's way and she graciously accepted it as she tore off the cap, she paused mid-drink when Sera teased suggestively, "Not all you'll feel later, luv."

 _Pala em.  
_

* * *

"I'll fight you right here if you don't think Phoenix is the perfect nickname for her," Varric quipped and nudged Sera. The archer rolled her eyes and Lavellan grinned over her shoulder as she stepped over the bodies she'd set fire to. The more practice she got with directing her flames outwards as she crossed then lashed out with her arms, the more she liked the fact that it really did look like wings of fire befitting her nickname. _Sera doesn't think Phoenix fits me?_ She was slightly curious as to why and also wanted to know what sort of nickname her lover had in mind, but there was little time for idle chatter as the group rushed out of the western ramparts to head for the eastern section, presumably where Gordian hid. Or at the very least Ellana dearly _prayed_ he was there, for her companions worked tirelessly to keep her calm as they set fire to the north and south corpse pits.

 _I'm going to make him pay for every man and woman he's defiled with this disgusting magic._ The one thing that immediately snapped her out of her angry reverie was when Sera rushed to go blow the horn to signal the troops the western ramparts were clear, and instead a series of mocking farts resounded throughout the trenches. Cassandra groaned with disgust, Varric chuckled and Lavellan outright laughed at her _vhenan's_ childish antics, only to rush over when she too wanted to join in on the fun. The Seeker had to push both of them out of the way and properly blew the horn, only for Sera to tease her with sexual innuendos and the fact that Cassandra indirectly kissed both elves.

Crossing the plains felt like ages what with everything else that seemed determined to piss the inferno mage off even more, Sera had her work cut out for her for the day. _Should I feel bad that half the time I'm pretending to be mad so that I get free kisses?_ Even if she should, she didn't and in fact took delight in her _clever_ strategy and flawless excuse. _I should be mad more often,_ especially when the archer embraced her from behind and whispered in her ear to calm down, though it often had the opposite effect as _something else_ flared to life... Oddly enough between her legs. _Creators, why can't I control my desires?_ Time and time again with or without the rogue teasing her Ellana often daydreamed of taking Sera right then and there, regardless of who saw. Despite keeping a straight face she was sure the archer _must_ have known that she'd imagined aggressive sex between the two, for the razor sharp slits glinted in kind when both their eyes met.

 _What is this insatiable lust?_ She often felt this need after grueling battles when she'd been overexcited and had trouble calming down from her high, but this usually lingered in the _back_ of her mind rather than at the front. She remembered a couple of stories Bull regaled if his mind and mouth wandered during training sessions, how near death experiences paired with blood lust often made for the _best_ sex, and now the elven woman couldn't help but wonder what it'd be like with Sera. That lust soon simmered and died out at the concerning thought if the venatori blood mage had affected her in any way during her battle with herself, _this energy has to be coming from somewhere, but where?_

It almost felt as if it was _fed_ to her, that it cycled like a current... But she had no idea where else that current led. _Could it be the bond-mate link? Are we feeding_ -an inward smirk at the semi-inappropriate thought- _off each other?_ She was brought out of her musings when the rogue bumped shoulders as they walked side by side, Sera smirked playfully at her before her gaze fell back on the expansive landscape they trekked on. That smirk alone ignited something within Lavellan and she sucked in her inner cheek as she tried to focus her mind on anything _but_ burning clothes and naked flesh pressed to hers. "Look like yer havin' a bit of trouble Ena," the archer whispered lowly so that Varric and Cassandra -whom bickered amongst themselves over Hawke again- couldn't hear their conversation. "Somethin' on your mind?"

"You," Ellana murmured honestly, her fingers slid down the rogue's inner forearm until she'd intertwined their hands and continued, "I can't stop thinking about you. Naked, specifically."

"And that's a _surprise_ to you?" Sera quipped and gently squeezed their hands, her face lit up with glee and her eyes shone with amusement, "Aren't I always naked in your mind?" Despite the lighthearted tease, the mage couldn't help but feel slightly bad that there was truth in those words. _It's not all I want from her though, but it always seems that way._

"Is that a bad thing?" She couldn't help but voice her concern out loud, then stumbled over her words as she tried to explain, "I mean... You are but-it's not all I want with you but at the same time it's all I ever think about. Isn't that a bad thing?" She missed the way Sera snickered as she continued to ramble, "It drives me insane and-"

"Ena stop for a sec."

"I feel like it's all I ever think about, and it kinda is-"

"Ena," the hand squeezing went unnoticed and now Lavellan had truly been worried about her earnest thoughts and feelings.

"But I swear there's more and I feel more and-" finally she'd been silenced when the rogue abruptly stepped in front of her, lips crashed over hers. _Definitely don't mind this,_ and then her concern came flaring back and her eyebrows furrowed, _that's part of the problem!_

"I know," Sera whispered against her mouth and smirked with amusement, "Don't need to get yer knickers in a twist Ena. I **know** and I feel the same, relax yeah? It's all good. Since when the heck didjya start worrying 'bout following whatcha want and feel?" _She's right... Why am I worried about this **now** of all times, after everything that's happened?_ At that the mage stood, stumped by the question and wondered it herself. And then it hit her.

She was afraid.

Afraid of blowing it all up, afraid of pushing Sera away and losing her, afraid of herself and still untrustworthy as to what her own motives were after what she'd done to the archer. _It's especially because everything's happened._ Without a doubt in her mind she could easily declare she loved Sera and would lay down her life for the woman but at the same time, did she truly knew what love actually is? _Does anybody, isn't it different for everyone? Why am I even doubting myself?_ A headache formed in between her eyes and the rogue chuckled as she patted Lavellan's cheek, "Don't blow yourself up over-thinking it _flame-brain,_ it don't suit you at all." _Over-thinking or thinking in general? I'm thinking general. And that just barely makes sense._ "It's all good and we're good, s'all that matters."

" **Ahem**." The Seeker interrupted their moment with a brief cough in her fist and tried to hide her smile when the two turned to face her, _did she listen to us?_ She gestured across the plains and they followed her gaze where a few Inquisition scouts bustled about a couple tents, "I believe we should restock on anything we might need by the river camp there and see if the soldiers can tell us where the eastern ramparts are." Cassandra moved past them to lead the way and the dwarf soon followed as he checked his quiver, something Sera also did. "We can also check if there are any more reports on the freemen leader Gordian, perhaps something that may shed light on his motives."

"Good idea," Ellana nodded and her eyebrow rose when both Sera and Varric inspected their quivers before realization dawned on her, _oh, they'll probably need bolts and arrows. A lot of them,_ anger lurked in the depths just at the very thought and knowledge of the endless amount of dead they've had to fight through, she was determined to at least say the elvhen rite for the dead when all this was over. It was both out of respect for their honorable sacrifices in the war, and an apology for what she had to do now in order to free their tortured souls. Just as she was about to turn and follow the other two companions to camp, her eyes fell on a few dents on the shoulder plate where Sera only wore armor on half her side. She reached out with her hand and brushed along the dent as the confused archer watched what she was doing, "What happened, you aren't hurt are you?"

"Nah I'm alright. Some dead freak managed to grab me, fucker was strong. Took Cass a few bashes to get 'im the hell off," Sera grumbled and absent-mindlessly trailed a hand over Lavellan's as she too felt the dent, and the mage internally sulked as guilt welled up in her. _Cassandra and not me. It should have been me._ "Prolly got a bruise but armor's just armor, getting a new plate's better than a fucked up shoulder yeah?" The elven woman nodded thoughtlessly and she smiled meekly when Sera patted her hand then strode forward after the other two companions, "C'mon luv, I wanna rest up a bit before we head out to _exalt_ more assholes."

 _Heh._ Ellana's mouth spread in a childish grin and she eagerly tailed along, the rogue always knew exactly what to do or say to cheer her up without even meaning to. It always interested to see both how different and similar the two were, and how sometimes they could think of the exact same thing in which she was certain was not _quite_ yet due to their permanent spiritual link. _Two hearts, one soul. It's almost like Valor and I,_ a slight shudder when a worrisome comparison crossed her mind, and she was determined to fight like hell so it'd never happen.

 _My soul would be in similar danger if we were to split into two. If 'ma vhenan died, so would I. Literally_ _too now that I think about it_ _._ She watched the firm back and confident woman walk ahead of her until Sera glanced over her shoulder then stopped to stretch out her hand, Lavellan smiled warmly as she intertwined their fingers and her heart swelled at the sight of her _vhenan's_ cheeky grin with pink-tipped ears. _She's replaced my heart._ She leaned over and brushed her lips over Sera's ear as she whispered affectionately, "I love you, 'ma sula." A hitched breath, and the fingers tangled with hers gave a fond squeeze until the archer tugged to draw Ellana for a searing kiss.

 _I love the way you smile in the middle of our kiss,_ she reciprocated and smiled against the plump lips in kind, and somewhere in the back of her mind she idly wondered if Sera _felt_ what she said even without any understanding of the symbolic words. _You are my heart, my song, the one my heart beats to,_ _the one you've created_ _. It's a never ending cycle, a circle_ _that starts and ends with you._ Her thumb idly brushed over the enchanted wooden ring she'd given the rogue, and the simple action left her no thoughts to describe the overwhelming sensations that grew within her chest. She never had to doubt herself, never had to worry about anything, never had to fear of possible danger, and knew they'd never be split apart.

 _We are and always will be one._

* * *

Stripping the armor plates, the archer let out a content sigh when she hopped on the cot and plopped on her stomach. She stretched her limbs out and took deep breaths, it was still taking her some time getting used to the plates that weighed down half her side and it was odd to shoot with a gauntlet. She winced when she inhaled even more, then rolled on her back and inched her shirt up. _That daft tit,_ her finger tips smoothed along a tender area on the side of her abdomen from when Ellana abruptly lifted her, _the fuck's her shoulder made outta to do this to me? Jeez._

Not that she particularly cared, she was almost always sporting some sort of bruise thanks to her overly excited lover. _I pay her back though,_ her lips curled in a lopsided smirk, _with scratches, the way she likes it. Me too I guess, yeah._ Just the thought of it sent a little tingle crawling down her back and her hips shifted the slightest bit when a tiny pang throbbed between her thighs, _fuck._ After yesterday -after **everything** really- and the way the two weren't allowed _alone_ time in their tent made it difficult to ignore the more inappropriate thoughts running around her mind.

 _Dead icky_ _things_ _are tryna kill us and all I can think 'bout is rolling 'round the pelts with Ena._ She understood Lavellan's concerns and quite frankly it puzzled her that the two were thinking about similar things at the same time, but she amounted it to the fact that they were starting to know each other inside and out. _Heh, yeah. In and out._ Her head rose when light filtered in as the tent flaps were pushed aside, her mouth automatically grew in a grin just at the sight of her lover who shared the same sentiment. _Too bad we still can't do nothin', Cass warned she'd punch us. Least she warned us, party pooper._ Her eyebrow cocked up in confusion when Ellana waggled her fingers as she approached, "Uh...? You already lost me luv."

"Roll on your stomach. I'm gonna make you feel good vhenan," _oo_ _h~_ _is th_ _at_ _what I think it means?_ Sera swiftly turned around and another pang throbbed between her legs, though she wasn't quite sure why this position since it'd be _easier_ and more _accessible_ on her back. _But it'll feel better like this_ _-_ and then her lips parted in a low moan as heated hands expertly knead her shoulders through her shirt, a small measure of disappointment welled up in her though she couldn't say she was all that surprised. _Course she meant massage... Fuck why's she worried 'bout always thinking 'bout sex when I do the same?_ "I'd ask for the shirt to go, but we both know what else would go after," the husky voice did wonders for what threatened to turn into an ache soon, and the archer groaned as she nodded in agreement.

"Stupid Cass," Sera mumbled in a sullen tone, "It'd just take us five minutes..." _Five minutes, every five minutes. That's what it feels like, just fuck nonstop._ "She's just jealous she got nobody to do this with, that's why she's bloody threatening us." Hope rose in her throat when the hands traveled down and rolled her shirt up, thumbs rubbed soothing circles in her lower back and electricity thrummed along her spine. A breathy mewl slipped past her lips and she heard the way Lavellan inhaled sharply, the hands on her were a touch bit hotter and she knew for a fact now that she wasn't the only one struggling to retain control over erratic emotions. "What the fuck is wrong with us today Ena? Did you do more weird magic stuff for us to be this fuckin' horny or what?"

"I swear I didn't, or at least I don't think I did." _Yeah that makes me feel so much better._ The second warm lips connected with Sera's back she buried her face in the pillow and groaned at the torture, the mage immediately parted and whispered hoarsely, "Sorry, I'll stick to massaging." _Stick something else. Fuck._ "I thought about why for myself while we walked to camp, and I figured it might have been my dream," _huh?_ The rogue propped herself up on her elbows then looked over her shoulder, Ellana shrugged as the two stared at each other, "Some parts of it was weird," _sounds like mine, I remember some messed up parts._ "And then there were really mm..." The untainted eye darkened and clouded almost instantly as the elven woman grinned provocatively, " **Hot**." _That too._

"Same with me," Sera admitted then relaxed back on the pillow, she felt the way the hands tensed for but a brief moment before they resumed to knead out any knots. _Never stiff with her 'round, bound to have tons in my shoulders too 'specially with what that dead freak did._ "Why am I not surprised we both had kinky dreams, after the shit we did yesterday?" Her lips splayed in a lazy smile at the sounds of the warm chuckles, she repressed the urges to groan or moan and stifled them in her chest as the _pleasurable_ hands snuck under her shirt to trail higher. _Wait, no, don't think 'bout it._ "We just don't know-"

"The meaning of stop," Ellana interjected and finished **for** her, the archer rotated her torso to glance again, _seriously?_ "Why are you looking at me like that, did I say something weird?" _You almost always do, which is 'normal' now._

"Nah," Sera let out a small huff as she plopped back on the pillow, her eyebrows knit together in confusion. _You just said the exact same thing I was gonna say._ _Weird... Guess she did say somethin' weird after all heh._ More light filtered in the tent and she couldn't help but grin at the sounds of the familiar sharp inhale, knowing who it was without looking she lilts playfully, "Jeez Cass my shoulder's sore. I can get an _innocent_ massage can't I?

"Nothing's innocent with you two," the Seeker retorted, though there was an unmistakable softness in her tone despite the teasing jab. "Anyways, I've learned from the scouts that the eastern ramparts aren't too far from where we are and should be about a fifteen minute walk, so-" Sera groaned when the warm hands under her shirt immediately disappeared. She still didn't need to look to know what was happening, and was thoroughly disappointed that Cassandra just **had** to ruin the amazing massage by giving her lover something to be excited about. _She's a frigging arse, she is. Did this on purpose, I know it._

"And this Gordian is there too?" Judging by Ellana's eager inquiry, the group would soon be chasing after the inferno mage in the next few minutes. _Nah, not minutes._ _Seconds._ The rogue pushed and twisted herself until she sat up, she just barely saw Cassandra nod until -as expected- Lavellan slammed her fist in her palm and announced as she flew out the tent, "Let's go now!" _Called it._ Sera shot the Seeker a deadpan glare to show she was thoroughly displeased, and Cassandra merely spun on her heel to exit but not before the archer saw the way the lips curled in an amused smirk. _Called that too. She_ _ **so**_ _did it on purpose._

"You're an arse, Cass!" She grumbled under her breath when she heard the warrior's chuckles outside, "She's fuckin' rubbing it in now..." A sigh, she had to move fast if she had any hopes of catching up with Ellana and her stomach churned uneasily, this was never a good sign. Spurred on by her concern she hastily worked on the most important armor plates that covered vital areas and tightened the buckles to secure them in their place, _gonna be sprinting soon, I just know it._ She strapped her quiver and plucked the bow, the feel of the worn grip scratching her palm offered a measure of security and she tumbled out of the tent soon after only to be pleasantly surprised that Lavellan still stuck around. _The fuck is she doing though?_ The elven woman bounced on her toes up and down then twisted her torso left and right, Sera couldn't help but shake her head and smirk at the _not-all-that-weird_ scene.

 _Course she'd be warming herself up._ "C'mon!" Ellana glanced over her shoulder and grinned when she saw everybody else finished scrambling to get ready, she soon set off on a run and hopped over the fence. _What's the point of her waiting for us if she rushes off without us anyways?_ Both her and Varric repressed their groans and ensured their quivers were secured properly before they jogged after the _inhuman_ fighters, Cassandra easily kept up with the mage's _unnatural_ pace. _She's wearing all that frigging armor too, there's somethin' wrong with them I swear._

As soon as they rounded the mountain Sera's eyes widened at the tall watchtower inside the ramparts across the plains, she hastily reached behind to pull an arrow out of her quiver and shot in synchrony with Varric to take down the marksmen. _What happened to fifteen minutes walking huh? Shit,_ she gritted her teeth when a handful of soldiers poured out from the entrance, at this rate with the speed the _inhuman_ fighters were charging at they'd battle in _seconds_ rather than _minutes, all over again._ She grinned just as eagerly at the sight of Lavellan raising her left arm in the air and set it ablaze, the mage leaped and slammed her fist down into the ground to create a smoke screen of dirt for them as she shouted heatedly, "It's time to blow these fuckers away!"

 _Damn straight._ The archers searched for cover behind a broken down wagon as they reached for their respective ammo, peering out and laying down suppressing fire as Cassandra and Ellana sprinted forth into the thick of the soldiers. Sera's heart hammered against her chest both with adrenaline at the sight of the inferno mage lighting up the battlefield, and fear that she was so damned close to things that could easily turn her into _meat_ if she hadn't been careful. _S'my job to make sure it ain't any arrows though._ "I don't care what you say," the dwarf announced, "Phoenix is the perfect nickname for her."

"Ugh," the rogue rolled her eyes, "This again? There's a better one Varric," she ducked behind cover when she noticed a sniper released his arrow for her, _yer 'bout to eat dirt fucker._ She poked out her tongue at the dwarf when his deadpan expression silently inquired just what better nickname that could even be, and simply nocked an arrow as she stated cheekily, "But I ain't telling you. It's a secret."

"You're full of shit, Buttercup." The two chuckled and poked their heads out, both simultaneously shot at the same sniper and Sera whooped loudly. _I got 'im first!_ Their gaze darted from Cassandra as she skillfully parried blows from a few soldiers that surrounded her, and then to Lavellan as she strode towards another three who backed away out of fear. They could only see half of the inferno mage with how she was turned, and even Sera couldn't deny that she found the way her lover's fists had been set ablaze was frightening... And a slight turn on.

 _Fuck, this shit again. What's wrong with me?_ The fire illuminated the woman's scarred face and made the glassy ebony iris look like a demon's eye of some sort, Sera shuddered at that comparison and anger welled up in her when one of the freemen soldiers shouted in terror, "You're a demon!" _You'll pay for that you frigging arse!_ Before she could react she'd been stumped to see that instead of Ellana being enraged and recoil viciously, the elven woman had actually _grinned_ darkly and added to her intimidating features. She couldn't believe her ears nor her eyes soon after, and both she and Varric exchanged surprised glances.

"Nah! I'm a **dragon**!" _WHAT?!_ Lavellan brought her hands in front of her face and cupped her mouth, and nearly everybody on the field that hadn't been actively engaged in battle had their jaws dropped either in horror or disbelief. _What the fuck is this?! I was frigging joking when I said she could breathe fire!_

Flames shot forward and Ellana's chest visibly puffed out as she inhaled deeply, another burst of fire flew and caught on the frightened freemen before they even had the chance to turn and run. Their agonizing shrieks filled the humid air and Sera had been snapped out of her shock when she noticed that another marksman had scrambled on the watchtower inside the ramparts to take aim. In the midst of her shooting she noticed the _magical_ mark on her neck tingled as Lavellan's explosive flames shook the very atmosphere, the scent of spice and ash wrapped around Sera in a warm embrace and she'd been reminded of Solas' inquiry when the group tried to find the runaway mage.

 _ **Sera, has the Inquisitor behaved more... Territorial since the dragon fight?**_

 _Is this what he meant, that she's literally turning into a fuckin' dragon or what?_ "I can't believe it," Varric shouted so that he'd be heard over the loud vibrations ripping through the sky with each explosion and pained scream. "I guess she really isn't Phoenix after all, looks like I owe ya a round of drinks Buttercup!"

"Damn straight, told ya so!" _Not really but hey free drinks right?_ The two archers moved forward to catch up with Cassandra and Ellana as they fought their way closer to the ramparts, it seemed as though the soldiers were endless but no one could break through their defenses so long as they watched each others' backs. _Plus the fucking 'dragon' on the god damned field is making 'em piss their pants and run away,_ Sera couldn't help but laugh at the way the mage fought as though she danced and sailed through the air with effortless somersaults, truly befitting that of a _dragon._ She still couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that Lavellan could actually breathe fire, and her eyes honed in to the way the scorching hands cupped around the elven woman's mouth before the flames flew forward to incinerate everything in it's path.

 _As if she wasn't fucking weird enough,_ she couldn't help the lopsided grin on her face when an entertaining thought bounced around her mind, _she's **my** 'dragon'._ The scaffolding cracked and the wood whined under the merciless heat as planks caved, _shit this tit's gonna-_ "Ena yer gonna blow up our only way in!" The warning came too late and the scaffolding crashed down, any other snipers that tried to climb up had effectively been thrown off and reinforcements had either been cut off or crushed. Both archers caught up with Cassandra and Ellana who smiled sheepishly as her _half-arsed_ apology when she turned around, scratching the back of her head in guilt. _Great..._

"Er... Woops?" The other three merely sighed and shook their heads as Lavellan's carefree laughter resounded in the air, she shrugged her shoulders in circles and tilted her head left and right to loosen up her muscles. _This tit's still too damn excited, where's she get all this energy from? Jeez..._ "I could blow it all away," the mage announced with frightening cheerfulness though as soon as she outstretched her palm towards the rubble, Cassandra shook her head and gently guided her wrist down.

"We can use this to our advantage now that they have no means to escape, we can strike from the other end of the ramparts." _Oh that's a good idea._ They nodded in agreement and took a moment to settle down from their adrenaline high as they inspected themselves for injuries or any damages to their gear, the Seeker had taken the brave first step in asking the question that had been on everybody's mind. "Inquisitor are you... Well when you-" it was unsurprising that even the warrior groped for words, and so Sera crossed her arms as she stepped in to ask instead.

"Can you actually breathe fire Ena, or what the fuck was that dragon shite?" _You ain't actually turning into one, right?_

"Oh!" Ellana had a massive shit eating grin and slammed her fist in her palm out of excitement, "That was really cool wasn't it?!"

"And scary as fuck," Sera chuckled at her lover's antics, _can't say I didn't see this happening._ "So? D'ya actually got fire in yer belly or what?"

"Nah, I wish I did." _She **wants** to eat fire? Frigging Loony._ It seemed as though it could be agreed upon all three companions that nobody knew if they were actually disappointed or relieved by this confirmation, especially when they hadn't entirely been all that surprised that the elven woman had yet again done something impossible as if it were part of her daily agenda. "I'm starting to get better at controlling my fire," _dunno if that's a good thing or a bad thing. That's code for 'it's easier for me to blow shite up now!'_ "I can direct the flames from my hands wherever I want," _see what I mean?_ "So I just blew a little bit and made them shoot out!" Lavellan's face lit up with glee as she looked at Cassandra then Varric, "Did you guys seriously believe me and think I was actually a dragon or something?"

" **Yes** ," they all nodded and replied in synchrony, their mouths curled up in smirks in response to the contagious laughter coming from the lithe mage.

"A fire dragon!" Ellana's next cheerful announcement sent shivers of fear down everybody's back as she eagerly marched away to lead the way around the ramparts, her fists thrust in air and set ablaze as she proclaimed passionately, "Next I'll become **the** fire god!" _That better be a frigging joke._

"Hey Buttercup," Varric quietly murmured as he stepped beside the archer and she grunted in response, "I think I like Phoenix more." Sera grunted again and nodded absent-mindlessly, _yeah._

"Me too."

"For the sake of everybody," Cassandra added hesitantly, "We should pray the Inquisitor likes it more as well." It went without saying that they had indeed prayed as such, for despite the mage's excited state and love for both fire and fighting the disturbing joke - _if_ it was a joke- left a sour taste in everybody's mouth. Sera discarded any doubts and simply had faith in what Lavellan truly desired, the internal comparison within her mind frightened her.

 _It's Ena, she won't ever be like Coryphelus. I'll make sure of that._

* * *

Fists set ablaze, bloodthirsty grin in place, Lavellan watched as fear settled in the eyes of men who dared stand before her. Every single one of them had been petrified in their place and couldn't move to either attack nor run away, though two had enough sense to raise and point their swords towards the inferno mage as a warning.

Naturally, Ellana didn't listen. Or give a flying fuck.

Wildfire spread across the ramparts as it's master danced just as gracefully as the flames, a trail left in her wake as the woman bounced to and fro to evade metal only to incinerate it under volcanic inferno soon after. The men dropped their weapons when they became too hot to hold and yelped as they cradled their singed palms, seeing the bright red flesh had only served to make Lavellan's wolfish grin grow wider. Moments after she saw a new entrance to the ramparts she charged in with the determination to blaze through and find the leader, _the shortest and quickest path to victory!_

With every feel of explosive heat leaving her she cackled like a madwoman, reveling in the sounds of blasts and the new craters in the ground if she put a touch bit too much force than needed when she flung fireballs. To her it'd been like tossing snowballs, to anybody else it was the cue to take cover and hide behind something that hopefully couldn't be burnt to a crisp. "Yeah!" Another laugh, she rotated her torso and shot a larger ball of flame to envelope the whole of a guardsman who _thought_ he'd be safe behind a massive shield, "A friggin' crisp!"

"M-monster!" One of the freemen shouted in a thick orlesian accent, "She's a demon!" _No, I'm a_ _ **dragon**_ _!_ On any other day, Ellana might have gotten pissed at being called either a monster or a demon, especially from guys who had the gall to resurrect corpses for crying out loud. But today?

Today was a pretty damn good day.

"Roasty toasty assholes," a predatory grin swept her face as she casually tossed a fireball up and down, the others gaped with slack jaws at the abnormal woman who treated the flame as if it were an actual solid object. And then she reeled her arm back then shot it forward, catching a man who failed to dive out of the way in time. She rushed forward towards him and leapt straight up, her arms hovered above her head as she summoned and collected more energy between her palms until it'd formed another fireball that rapidly grew bigger.

 _Dragons specialize in tearing up the field!_ Clearly she was sold and already obsessed with the comparison, and it further served as fuel to her endless passionate energy. She threw the ball of scorching flame down into the earth at a group of three, she dodged just in time to evade a swordsman who charged at her and slammed her fist at the back of his head as she supplemented the force of the punch with explosive magic. She grit her teeth in anger when she noticed ages old corpses rise and glared at the soldiers still alive, "I'll turn you **all** to fucking ashes. Have some respect for the dead!" _They were people who gave their lives for what they believed in, and now they're being twisted to serve a deluded fool._

Thankfully, it helped to know that most people bury their dead by way of cremation and with every corpse pit set on fire, Ellana felt a wealth of energy released as trapped spirits were finally set free. That was what she fought for in this moment: freedom. She rose her arm and stretched out her fingers, little flames erupted from her fingertips and merged together to spell out the words as she taunted the freemen soldiers, "C'mon!" Her ears twitched when she heard familiar sounds of screeching armor plates and glanced over her shoulder, a childish grin immediately swept her face when she saw her companions catch up to her. _It's time to meet th_ _e one who dare_ _ho_ _ard_ _the dead and_ _allow demons to possess them_ _once and for all,_ she rallied her allies as she shouted heatedly, "We're coming for you Gordian!"

Fire spawned from her knuckles and she slammed her fist in her palm, her marred face made for a frightening sight as her sharp canines shone bright from the boiling sun and the freemen hesitated. It served to be the end of them as Lavellan charged forward with Cassandra, with Varric and Sera providing cover fire or sniping the marksmen off the scaffolds. Together the group wove deeper and deeper in the ramparts until they fell upon an ice spellbinder, presumably the one in charge when the deluded fool began to shout angrily over foiled plans _or something like that._ The elven woman didn't truly pay attention nor cared, all that mattered was the burning need to put an end to the desecration and she reveled in the fear in the spellbinder's eyes. Every time he drew glyphs of ice mines they'd either been promptly purged by Cassandra or burned away by Ellana's searing magic.

"No where left to hide," any time Gordian disappeared and reappeared somewhere else on the battlefield -usually behind other freemen that soon fell- he'd been chased down by arrows or a pissed off woman hot on his tail every time. The game of cat and mouse was still frustrating and Lavellan was fed up, she instead gathered and wove energy in a growing fireball between her palms with the intention of blowing away the battlefield. "Enough of this!" At the very least the others had enough sense to quickly pull back for safety, but that didn't stop Sera from chucking a pebble at the mage's head and warning her after taking cover.

"Better not blow us all away ye daft tit!"

Naturally, Ellana still didn't listen.

Or still give a flying fuck.

Waiting for Gordian to reappear, she rose her arms above her head and leaped backwards as she released everything she had and aimed it at the ground below the spellbinder. He hadn't reacted in time and a shattering explosion shook the very air as a pillar of flame soared to the sky, nothing but soot remained on the cratered ground as ash fell like snowflakes. The back of her hand wiped the sweat off her forehead and she took a moment to catch her breath, she'd expelled enough magic in a matter of minutes that would have put _meditation_ to shame. Another pebble, and she turned around with a childish grin until the archer grumbled as she cautiously stepped out of cover, "What's with you and makin' craters everywhere, seriously?"

"I," Lavellan thumbed to herself as she proudly declared, "Specialize in demolition and property damage, like a dragon!"

"That ain't somethin' to be proud of ye frigging Loony! Jeez..." Sera sighed while the others chuckled quietly, the rogue strapped her bow to her quiver and made way to inspect Ellana's injuries, "Yer all scraped up and shite. Pretty soon Varric's gonna call ya Scars instead of Fee-whatever."

"It's not a problem, I don't see one anyways." The inferno mage rose an eyebrow in confusion when Sera looked sad for a moment and prodded, "You do?" The calloused fingers gingerly swiped along the old shoulder blade scar before Sera wordlessly searched her thigh pouch for her stitching tools and Lavellan merely watched quietly. Her head snapped to the right to Cassandra and Varric when they called out to her and pointed to the magical barrier that guarded the last corpse pit, "Oh woops forgot." She extended her arm outwards and flames spiraled around her forearm until it'd descended to her palm, the ball released and rocketed forward to the barrier then exploded on impact.

 _Too much, I don't have a whole lot left._ Yet again a little too much power than needed but at the very least the other two already stayed a safe distance away, then got to work on setting fire to the pit as they plugged their noses or held their breaths from the stench of rotten and decomposed flesh. Her attention was brought back to the small prick as a needle punctured healthy tissue and wove through to stitch a gash on her shoulder, her mouth opened and the words tumbled out before she could stop them, "Ow~ can't you be gentler?"

"Then quit getting chopped up like liver," Sera snapped defensively, "Course this shite hurts." _Yes but you're rougher than usual,_ _and I know you're angry._

Not knowing what could be the problem, Ellana shrugged then explained her perspective on what she thought might be the issue, "To me, the scars are badges of honor to wear proudly, not to shun. It's proof I've fought my hardest and won."

"Don't gimme that crap Ena, you can fry anybody easily." That brought a fat shit eating grin to the mage's face and Sera rolled her eyes, "You fried yourself more than one way too..." _What's she mean by that?_ "Y'just get excited -like **always** \- and charge in without thinking then get all cut up like this. Happens every time." _I still don't understand what the problem is._ The rogue craned her neck and cut the thread with her teeth after she'd tied enough knots, the gash perfectly sealed thanks to all the constant practice. A stolen glance and Sera sighed at the woman's clueless expression, she straightened out and shifted to the other side as she worked on another gash presumably from an arrow that grazed Lavellan's bicep. "Look, do I really gotta say it out loud?"

"Uh... Yes? Because I'm lost."

"I'm just..." The archer's eyebrows furrowed and she trailed off, as she wove the needle through she used Ellana's yelp to her advantage and mumbled hastily, "Just worried." _I'm still lost._

"About what?" Her forehead creased and she tilted her head in confusion when Sera groaned exasperatedly, "I don't really understand but..." She rotated her torso and stole a brief yet ardent kiss, her lips spread in a childish grin as she reassured warmly, "It's not a problem." Noticing the way the rogue's gaze flickered around, she urges gently, "Do my scars bother you?" She glanced to the side to ensure Cassandra and Varric were out of earshot before she whispered all hush-hush, "Do I look scary?" _Do you see a monster and a demon too?_

"Heh," Sera's lips quirked upwards in a fond smile, though her eyes remained glued as her hands worked to stitch and knot the gash together. "When yer chuckin' flame like it ain't no big deal or tossing it up and down like a damn snowball or _breathe_ fire then yeah, yer definitely scary. To the baddies. Not to me though," she glanced up and took a quick moment to pat Lavellan's scarred cheek before she planted a kiss. She leaned down and cut the thread with her canines after she tied the last knot, then held out the needle as the inferno mage wordlessly heated the tip to sterilize it. _I'm relieved she feels that way but... She still didn't answer my first question._ _Does that mean they do bother her?_

"Hey Phoenix," Varric muffled beneath his leather glove as he walked over, "Think we got all the pits. Any chance we can get out of here and grab fresh air?"

"Yeah," Ellana nodded then jerked her head towards the entrance they came from, "Let's go blow the horn for reinforcements and update the Inquisition scouts, then we can see if Solas got us the maps we need to find the Western Approach." As they cautiously made way out of the ramparts and remained on alert for any more enemies, Lavellan eyed the sullen archer that marched by her side though refrained from frowning. _She didn't give an answer at all, is it because she doesn't know or thinks I won't like it?_

And so the rest of the journey had been relatively quiet as the group trudged on under the scorching sun and barren plains, the stench of death stubbornly clung to the humid atmosphere even outside the ramparts and fresh air seemed to be nonexistent. Not knowing what else to do or say, Ellana shuffled a bit closer to the archer and their hands tapped together as she whispered earnestly, "I love you 'ma vhenan." As the mage naturally intertwined their fingers, she stole another glance from the corner of her eye and her heart felt lighter with what she saw.

A subtle yet fond smile, and pink on the tips of Sera's ears.


End file.
